A Good Morning Start

This is the day, which the Lord has made;
Let’s rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
 
My mornings usually start before the sun comes up.  I have my preference in how I would like to wake up.  The sun coming up, peeking through the blinds, birds chirping and in my mind I know I have no responsibilities for the day.  What a pleasant way to get going on the day.  Slow pace, no demands, needs are met and a feeling of leisure and peace.
 
I can testify that this would be a red-letter day, one to be noted when I am able to wake up in that manner. The truth of waking up is usually to an alarm clock at an unreasonable time to walk with my husband before he goes to work and I start seeing clients.  But regardless of how I wake up, God is already awake and ready to engage me in our relationship.  Actually, God does not sleep.
 
Psalm 121:4 says Behold, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
 
Bed hair, grumpy, grumbling, sour, hitting the snooze button, complaining that it’s too early, not enough sleep, shouldn’t have eaten the chili dog before bed, already stressed about the demands of the day, counting how many hours before one can return home, feeling defeated and already overwhelmed, before the covers are thrown back and feet having hit the floor.
 
All of those dispositions, thoughts and attitudes have set the tone for a challenging day.  One is already living in the deficit of emotions and thoughts. The glass is half empty and no one has even taken a sip.
 
How can we take control of the morning from the very beginning of one eye open to setting our feet on the ground in a attitude and disposition of positivity and feeling blessed?  Intentionality.  Making a decision, a deliberate choice to start the day with thoughts, actions, prayers, scripture that move us away from being in the pit to a life of gratitude, praise and purpose.
 
First action is to recognize this new day.
 
This is the day, which the Lord has made; Let’s rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
 
Debbie McDaniel, in an article published in iBelieve on June 27, 2022 noted “In Psalm 118, the author is writing about incredible adversity. It's not written when times are good, but when times are really hard. Situations were changing. The Psalmist cried out to God in anguish, he was surrounded on all sides by the enemy. He felt pushed back, and about to fall. Yet right in the midst of huge struggles shared, this chapter both starts and ends with the same verse, of giving thanks and praise unto God.”
 
Psalm 118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.
 
In discussing the significance of the chapter, Ms. McDaniel stated “Such a powerful reminder to us: True joy is never dependent on our circumstances. And though we may know this in our head, it might be hard to walk out every day. Learning to choose joy in hard times takes effort and action on our part; it requires our hearts to be set on Him. God is faithful to help us so that we can choose well. And we can be assured that in His grace, He has made every day, and for that gift itself we can “rejoice and be glad in it.” No matter what we face, we can still believe in God’s goodness and love, for that’s what carries us through the most difficult of seasons.
 
So reframing all of those negative reactions to a new day and specifically the morning part of the day, let’s think of it as a gift which God has given us.  And with gifts, we need to express gratitude. So that is where we begin even before our feet hit the ground, expressing gratitude to God for this new day, a gift given to us by God to live another day.  Gratitude is a very powerful heart, mind and emotion position that starts filling up our glass from half empty to half full perspective. 
 
Let’s add more thoughts to continue building a good morning. 

1. Being able to wake up signals to us that God still has a purpose for us on this earth.  Praising God for His purpose and asking for fulfillment of that purpose for this day in your life.
2. Expressing gratitude that yesterday is over and you survived.
3. With a new day, we receive new mercies.

Lamentations 3:22-24The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end, For His compassions do not fail.  They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I wait for Him.”
 God is awaiting our morning arising, to love us, demonstrate his care for us and faithfulness to us.  He is merciful toward us.  We are blessed to meet His mercies every morning.

1. Whatever was wrong the day before is now in the past and we have opportunity to make it right today with God’s help.
2. Give it all to God before your feet hit the ground, your thoughts, fears, anxiety, stress, workload for the day, conversations and the list goes on. 
3. Pray for family members, friends, co-workers and others that God has laid on your heart. 
4. Start the morning with scripture.  It can be one verse, several or even a chapter. 

 
Sounds like a lot of time to engage in some of this positive stuff but implementing them one by one is a start in the right direction.  You may be thinking, “ I barely have time to get ready for the day.”  Add this to part of your morning routine by adding 5 minutes earlier to your morning wake time. Your attitude will change and your day will have started on a positive path with God on your mind in place of all of the negative feeling of the new morning.
 
Psalm 118:24 Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good, his love endures forever.
 
I am preaching to myself. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
 
Blessings,
Karen