Psalm 139:18 “…when I awake, I am still with YOU.”

I have been by many bedsides and with many families reading these words of comfort and faith from Psalm 139 — but now I am by my own Father’s bedside speaking to my own Mother and sister as we watch my Dad in the sleep of unconsciousness. Will these words bring comfort to us, to me as I have sought to bring to others?? Of course they will because they are not my words but God’s!
At this point my dad was “asleep” to us and the world of this life. He was in this state for the last two days. We were the Awake and watching; it was not easy. In that time, these words of Psalm 139 became very personal. These are the words of the Psalmist reminding everyone through his words that while we are in this Life there is nowhere we can go that God is not already there. And should I fall asleep in the sleep of death, when I awake I am STILL with You (Lord) — for the Believer, we awake in His Eternal Presence.

These words reminded us of two things:

1. First, Many of us wish that when we pass from this life, it would be in our sleep. My Dad did pass in his sleep; just not the sleep I might have been thinking.
   
2. Then, I was reminded that when we sleep, we lose track of time. Whenever I wake up I have to immediately look at the clock because I have no idea how much time has passed- especially if I had forgotten to set my alarm.

We were the ones aware of the difficult hours slowly passing by sitting by Dad’s bedside. He was asleep — time for him had basically ceased to exist. AND here is the glorious news, when he did “awake”, Time really did cease to exist because my Dad woke up yesterday in the Presence of the Lord!
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Thank you for all your words and prayers for our comfort and strength!