Good Morning...

I've always been a pretty heavy sleeper. In high school, I had this alarm clock that was shaped like a chicken, and it was slung with an electric guitar. At the appointed time, it would start singing in japanese and playing the electric guitar. I had a hard time sleeping through that one. My dad, on the other hand, I had no trouble sleeping through. He would come in a 6:00 AM, turn the lights on, pull the covers off my bed, shake me, and I could still sleep. Eventually I would roll out of bed, but it took awhile. I actually found a picture of my old clock on eBay:

The chicken alarm clock served me well, because it scared me half to death when it went off. I remember vividly sitting up straight in bed with my eyes wide open, awash with fear. It definitely wasn't the most pleasant way to wake up, but it was the only way to get me out of bed. Because it truth, getting out of bed was the last thing I wanted to do. What I wanted to do was sleep more: all I wanted was 10 more minutes, 10 more minutes. Getting out of bed and into the great unknown couldn't hold a candle to (in my sleep-heavy mind) the pure joy of a few more minutes of blissful rest. So I needed to get out of bed, but I refused: hence the painful awakenings.

When I graduated from high school, one of the presents I got was a CD alarm clock - one of those jobs you can program to play your favorite track off of your favorite CD to wake you up in the morning. The hardest part about the alarm clock was this: what song do I pick? What do I want to wake up to? I went through several possibilities, (like Linkin Park's Faint, a song that now gives me the willies whenever I hear it) but in the end it came down to this: why do I get out of bed in the morning? The answer, when I look inside now, is this: because every new day in the kingdom of GOD is amazing.

You see, every morning is a good one when you have something to live for, something to look forward to, and someone who will never leave you or forsake you. When we have a purpose, morning can't come soon enough, because that means one more day, one more chance to grow deeper and closer to GOD. Every morning is new, a fresh start; another moment to feel the intimate presence of Christ in the rising sun, the singing birds, and the hope of a new day. Good sleep is rest, and we all need that, but I can hardly wait to wake and see what GOD is going to do today. I used to hit the snooze button, but now I wake up before my alarm. I used to hate getting out of bed, but now I can't wait. From the moment I open my eyes, I'm excited. I'm awake. I'm quiet. I'm still. I'm ready. There are some days when I wake up and I want nothing but to fall asleep and never get up again, but I figure that if Jesus came to give me life to the fullest, I should experience every moment of it that I can. Every morning is a good one when you have the eternal promise of Christ to pull you out of bed. Talk about a good alarm clock: it's a lot better than a singing chicken. A lot better.

Here's the song that plays on my CD alarm clock:

Last thing I remember, sayin bye to yesterday
Glad to see it over, pullin' covers over my head
But what were You doin' while I dreamt the night away
Cause I can tell that something's different
and my eyes ain't even open yet

I'm smellin' coffee
Birds are singin' just outside
Here comes Your mercy streamin' in with the morning light
My heart is racing waking up to Your smile
Its a good morning, yeah
Its a good morning

Well I remember readin' You're the God who never sleeps
And while I've been dreamin' You've been singing over me, yeah
Singin' about my freedom, wakin' me up to hear Your song,
And now I cant dance hard enough
Cause yesterday is gone, gone, gone!

Every little breath, every heartbeat
Is a gift of love that You give to me
You keep givin even when Im asleep
Cause I know You never stop watching over me
I wake up, my past is gone
Cause Your mercy's new with the morning sun
I'm forgiven, I'm free, it's a brand new day
Cause Your faithfulness is the greatest (hey!)
(Chris Rice, Smellin' Coffee)

"Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare." (Proverbs 20:13)