It's 9:35 a.m. on a Saturday in Brooklyn, New York. The sun is shining and the high is predicted to be in the eighties. It should be a great day.
Refelcting, I am thinking that, it should also be a great day, if it was cloudy , cold and the high's in the thirties, shouldn't it?
I love the sun and the warmth it makes me happy. I do not like the cold at all, especially because I am anemic and the slightest breeze, seems like a wind chill sweeping down from the arctic. Okay, that was an exaggeration.
Most days I wake up and the first thing out of my mouth is "Thank You Jesus" Praise will continue spewing out of my mouth as I slide my feet inside my cozy slippers and shuffle off to the bathroom and freshen up to start my day. The groggy but sincere praises come out in a froggy voice until I start to brush my teeth and then the praises are mentally sent forth.
Everything is good.
My routine is morning coffee, while reading through some Christian Women's blogs (I love the early fellowship with sisters, it is highly motivating)
Coffee, sunshine, good reading, comfy coziness, Thank you Jesus.
Who wouldn't be thankful under such serene and content circumstances?
The birds are tweeting and I can hear the faint laughter of children playing in the park across the street. if I were to look out my window I would see people walking their cute, very groomed puppies and the occassional runner trotting by.
*sigh*
Life is good. Thank you Jesus.
But in the real world, there are mornings, when I wake up and in my almost gutteral voice say, an almost forced, and not so sincere, obligatory, "Thank you Jesus for this day..." I might as well offer up an offensive blah blah blah, because the worship and praise and thanks is not coming from my heart. It is forced and I have made it mandatory.
Why, do I wake up like that on some days?
Well, obviously it's because I didn't sleep well the night before and so I wake up achy. The room is still dark because it is cloudy outside and it looks like rain all day. I'm cold and the heat hasn't kicked in and when I attempt to slide my feet inside my cozy slippers for warmth, I miss, and almost trip, causing my bare feet to touch the cold hardwood floors.
Argh!
I shuffle off to the bathroom and find that I didn't replace the empty tube of toothpaste with a fresh new one from the pantry and there are no D*xie cups for my mouthwash.
Grrrr.
Grumble, grumble, grumble.
So... I drag myself to the cupboards, when the telephone rings, I check the caller I.D and it is a telemarketer. More grumbling from me.
If we are to be honest, we would admit that not everyday begins with a "Pollyanna Morning of Greatness" and positive thoughts. It is more like an "Eeyore Dragging Morning of Gloom"
Bluebirds aren't circling our heads and we don't prance around all giddy singing our favorite worship songs.
I want to get to the point in my life where I am spiritually mature enough to wake up in the cold, damp, dark apartment realizing, I didnt set the coffee maker the night before and ran out of filters, stubbing my toe on the corner of the kitchen table and not letting all of it ruin my day or set the tone for the rest of it.
I want to find joy in all , not a maniacal laughing at all the things that go wrong during the day but an "It sucks but it's okay" attitude.
So what? There are no coffee filters and you forgot to replace the tube of toothpaste. So, it's cold and the heat isn't on. God is still in control and life is still good and so God I sincerely worship you this morning, NOT to force myself into doing it but because in the grand scheme of things I always know that you are and always will be. I will always know that You love me and that everything is going according to your plans as long as I continue to follow your direction.
Good Morning Lord and thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
A Clip from the movie "Pollyanna" Notice her positive attitude in spite of all the nastiness around her:)