The Right Side of the Bed

Steve’s ankle hurts. Therefore, at some serious urging from me, he is taking the day off from his planned fishing trip and he lies on the couch, foot elevated, watching TV and occasionally whining a bit.

I was unpacking groceries in the kitchen and doing a little Christmas decorating. And I heard a man on Law and Order (a man who was probably a suspect in his wife’s murder) say, “You don’t know how much I love her. She was the reason I got up every morning.”

And I began to think, why do we get up in the morning anyway? I mean aside from the obvious pecan pie on Thanksgiving and excitement of Christmas morning. On an ordinary day, why do we get out of bed? Suspend the whole, “Because, you nut, I have a job that I have to go to” argument. You see, that is no longer a consideration for Steve and for me. Therefore, I can address these thought-provoking, gut level questions.

If you did not have to get up to be at work, consider Saturdays and Sundays and lay aside the “because I have to go to the store to get milk” reasons, what makes your day? I guess I’m asking at the very basic level, what makes you tick?

Why do Steve and I get out of bed, when we finally don’t really have to? Is golf really the reason he gets up every morning? Settle down, sweetie, I’m just joking. But it’s one of those questions that’s not as easy to answer as you would think.

So I started the thought process. Because I live in this beautiful place. Because I love my husband. Because I want to serve my God. All perfectly lovely reasons to get out of bed every morning. When I was more militant, I would have frowned and said, “Because I’m here to glorify God and tell the world about Him!” But is that even it?

I believe, I hope, the reason I face each new day is quite simply because I love my Lord. That’s it. And the amazing thing is that’s all He requires! But the beauty of His plan is that when I go forward to meet with Him, to just love Him every day, He fills my heart and my soul with love, joy and peace. And that makes me love Steve and my family, my friends and this perfect life He’s provided for me. It makes me want to serve Him and to tell the world about Him. Simple, undemanding love. It’s the reason I get up every morning.

Lamentations 3:23-25
Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him….

Clear a Path to the Mug

Can I just switch sides? I'm a night person. My Steve is a "get-up-early-get-the-day-moving" kind of guy. He hops out of bed at 6:30 with bright eyes and a grin for the dogs. I slog out as late as I can get away with and feel my way into the kitchen for a mug.

Coffee opens my eyes but only barely. We troop with the dogs out to the back porch to enjoy the shade before the South Carolina sun begins to climb. Steve is eager to talk about our day; I prefer to wrap my hands around my cup and ruminate on my coffee. After 39 years, he has learned to let me ease my way into the day.

How do I collect this garbage in my brain that makes my morning outlook so sour? For my writing I'm supposed to, first thing, get up and write three pages of "brain dump", stream-of-consciousness onto paper. This usually ends up being mostly about my dreams which are consistently vivid and usually weird. I do gripe a bit and I write a lot about my to do list. I pray some and I worry some.

The best way for me to start my day is with a cup of coffee, my Bible and my back porch. I slip out and find God waiting for me, just us with a breeze and no sounds but birds. (South Carolina birds seem to like to sleep a little later so I can still enjoy them by the time I'm settled in the rocker.)

So how to start the day for a night person who's a morning grump? When I can remember to greet God first and give Him my day, my spirit is eased a bit. I'm still slow but I'm on the best side.

Psalm 118:24, Romans 12:1b
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ...Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.