GOOD Morning
MORNING PEOPLE
Morning people. Those people. You know, the kind of people who, even without a habitual jolt of caffeine, effortlessly manage to prance around well before the sun is peeking over the eastern horizon chipperly singing (more or less to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”):
I’m alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic! I’m alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic! I’m alive, alert, awake; I’m awake, alert, alive; I’m alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic!
The people who feel it is their God-given duty and calling to rouse those around them out of their sleepy-time lethargy and grumpiness with an enthusiastic “Rise and shine!”
The people who wish every church service were a sunrise service.
The people who boast of 6 hours of productivity well before noon.
Ugh. Morning People.
OK. Time for true confessions, and probably overdue apologies.
I am a morning person. There, I said it. And yes, I did, at times, sing the above lyrics in an attempt to convince my most reluctant college dorm friends of the glory of the morning. These attempts, of course, were not met with much success, and even less appreciation. And, my boys may tell of their less than appreciative response to their morning wake-up call.
But seriously, how can you not love mornings – glorious, wonderful, potential-filled mornings?
Mornings are prime time for accomplishing tasks. I am likely able to check off 3-4 times as many to-do items in the morning hours as compared to the same number of hours later in the day. When it comes to lesson planning and other teacher tasks, my productivity is far greater if I can get to school early and work before the students arrive than if I must try to accomplish everything after the school day.
“Well, duh,” you may be thinking. “Don’t get up so early and you’ll have more energy later.” Except that’s not the case. I think a morning person is “wired” a morning person, just as it seems few “night owls” are more eager to greet the sun if they are able to get to bed earlier.
There are times I envy those night owls. Late nights offer their own excitement and opportunities. (Or so I’m told.) Occasionally, I wish I could be less zombie-like and play the part of an engaging conversationalist after 9:30 PM 8:30 PM OK, 7:30 PM. And truthfully, sleeping in, which, for me is sleeping past 9:30 AM 8:30 AM fine, 7:00 AM does seem to hold greater appeal with each passing year. My energy level has definitely become more dependent on a daily, hot caffeinated beverage. I can’t envision a day, though, when I will have completely reformed myself out of being a morning person.
Morning Joy is for Everyone!
A morning person is a part of how I was created to be. What else is there to do but embrace it? Though the chances of bringing the morning haters over to my side are slim, there are elements of the morning that are equally wonderful to each and every one of us. You, too, can rejoice at dawn! How is it possible to disparage mornings after reading:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (RSV)
See! EVERY morning our faithful God greets us with unlimited love and new mercies. Yesterday, along with all of its challenges, sorrows, mistakes, and downright sinfulness, is behind us; we are blessed with a brand new day to live in God’s grace, a new chance to experience the Lord’s steadfast love as we go about our daily tasks!
I even get biblical permission to sing in the morning:
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely. Psalm 59:16-17
The inspiration for this blog came from the Lamentations verse I quoted above. It once seemed odd to me that these verses which bring real joy are from the book of sad laments. But isn’t that the point? Admittedly, a beautiful, promising morning rarely provides complete shelter from the challenges of life on this earth. Sorrows and troubles of each of our earthly days do cause us to lament and despair. God reminds us of his perfect, loving faithfulness. As people and things let us down and fade away, God and his loving faithfulness remain and never falter. They wait to greet us at the dawning of each new day.
Of course, I must concede that God’s grace isn’t reserved for the early part of the day or for those whose energy is greatest at that time. Worms may only be available to the early birds, but God has abundant enough grace to generously pour out on all types of people at all times of day.
I suppose, then, that if I am going to convince others of the appeal of each morning that I must recognize the value of the late-night hours as well. His mercies are new not only every morning, but every afternoon and every evening; each of the day’s moments brings equal mercies from our loving God. Every moment of the day is blessed by God; every moment gives us the opportunity to sing his praises! (Just don’t sing too loudly if it’s past my bedtime, please!)
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. Psalm 92:1-2
The Best Morning Ever is Yet to Come
One of my best friends from high school was most definitely a night owl. (Yes, such friendships between opposites can exist!) In recent years, living two time zones apart, we would on occasion happen to be on social media at the same time – Michelle was just about to go to bed and I was checking in first thing before getting ready for the day. Her late hour pursuits and my early hour activities, happening simultaneously, were under God’s ever-watchful eye.
This dear friend was called home to heaven a little more than a year ago. I don’t get to be surprised anymore with a chance social media encounter. Instead, assured by God’s steadfast love and unending mercies, I eagerly await the reunion that will come as eternity dawns when God takes me home. What an incredible dawning that will be!!
I bet we’ll all be morning people in heaven, but I can’t wait to discover what it’s like to be part of the heavenly “night crowd!”
