Been there? Done that? Undone that?
Yeah, thought so.
But let's stretch as far back as we can and see morning a different way. In this scenario, the music is playing, the coffee is mostly hot, and creamy, and strangely sweet, and we're off to dance on some yellow brick roads of our own choosing.
I'm getting ready for the day by re-inventing the day. Joy has gotten up, showered and gotten dressed and I'm sitting, typing, slurping coffee while the sun separates tree branches and says a belated hello. Top o' the morn to you, Billy, the sun shines.
I'm tired. I hurt. But through the pain, through the sleepiness, the Bible says this is appropriate: "But I cry out to you, Lord! My prayer meets you first thing in the morning!
Morning, with or against our will, has broken. I'm suggesting it is time to change the way you not only get out of bed but get into the morning.
Broken ... like the first morning. Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird. Praise for the singing, praise for the morning, praise for them springing fresh from the Word.
Praise for the morning, Cat sang.
Indeed. Morning prayer sets the direction of the day, builds up a bit of power in the sack that we might need to draw out against the stuff that can and will comes against us. Time alone with the one who loves us most is best served before the stuff can and will happen.
Here comes an admission... I pray better when I'm fully awake. One could argue that I'm, like the Hulk's anger in the Avengers, always in a state of unwakedness. A shadowy world that needs caffeine to master it's next move, that's my world. Rumblin, stumblin, that's me till there is a sufficient flow of blood into my caffeine system.The Bible tells me that early in the morning, Jesus eased away from his mates and went off somewhere to pray by himself.
A simple word search shows that morning is a special time to God, apparently. Morning stars sing songs, weeping stays all night but joy comes in the morning. Morning is an exceptional occurrence in scripture, appearing time after time. It is an invention, like music and those marvelously weird beings called humans. There's renewal in the morning, revival in the morning, another chance in the morning. Heck, Proverbs says that the way of righteousness is tied to the morning.
Morning, good buds, isn't mourning at all.
Ezekiel's prophecy comes in the morning; Daniel had a prophecy that included evening and morning; and God renders his verdict morning by morning.
There's just something about the rising of the sun that chases away the darkness of night.
Do I have to stretch to reach the analogy?
The Son rises with each morning, not now going away to be by himself to be in contact on a divine spiritual basis but instead rises to greet us.
How did you sleep? How is the back? What are we doing today? He's eager. We're sleepy. He's ready; we're not. He's filled, absolutely filled, with joy that comes when our eyes awaken and we realize that against all odds we're back at it one more time.
I'm reminded of another morning so long ago. Darkness had come, the world was without light, and we were up against it.
And "early in the morning" a bunch of women came to the tomb with the intent of addressing the body of the one who had meant so much to them for three very long years. Dark skies. Dark streets. Dark times outside the protection of the city.
Dark is as dark does.
And yet when they arrived at the tomb, all light broke loose. You know what they found, at first nothing, then Jesus.
And joy came with the morning. Right on time. Right on schedule.
This morning, take a moment out of busy schedules. Take a second. If you can, take an hour. Let's pray together.
O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace, help me in all things to rely upon your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that your will governs all. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by you. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray. And you, yourself, pray in me. Amen.
Courtesy beliefnet.com
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