Monday

Like many people, Monday morning came today like a piano crashing on Wile E. Coyote. After a relaxing weekend, how depressing it was to hear my alarm go off at 6:30 and know I had to be at work in an hour to start a five-day week of being yelled at. I laid in bed for a moment, knowing I had to get up but not wanting to face the day. There was a part of me thaat wanted to say "to heck with the consequences," throw the covers over my head and sleep the day away. I did not want to face the day.

But then I stopped and prayed. I asked God for strength. I asked him to give me a reason to get out of bed. And that's when I heard the old song that we sang in Sunday School as children going through my head, right from the Psalms.

"This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."

I'd be lying if I said that my attitude did an about face right that second. But that sentence reverberated through my brain as I showered, dressed, brushed my teeth and hair and prepared my coffee. Whatever I thought about the day, whatever problems it held, this day was from God. He could have chosen to end all existence overnight. He could have chosen to take me Home in my sleep. But He didn't. He woke me up. He made sure that I was awake to face the day because He had a specific will in it. Even if His will for the day was that I just learned to appreciate His planning, this day was prepared by Him for His glory.

That thought led me over to Isaiah 6 later today. In Isaiah 6:5, the prophet sees the angels around the throne proclaiming,

Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The Earth is filled with His glory.

And I began thinking about that. So often, I wake up and dread the day. I drive to work expecting the worst. I can't wait until I get back home and can get to bed. I want the circumstances to go my way and I want to be able to have a smile on my face 24 hours (yeah, even while I sleep.)

But we all know that the days don't go like that. We're lucky to make it to lunch without being frustrated with people. When we leave work, there are days when we feel like we've escaped by the skin of our teeth. And we can go home and say "it was a bad day."

I know that it's somewhat a matter of semantics (and I'm always up for some antics), but I wonder how trite and arrogant and selfish it us of us to announce that "it's been a bad day."

After all, doesn't everything good come from God? And aren't we told to rejoice in the day the Lord has made? Isn't the Earth filled with God's glory? Aren't we commanded to take joy even n our trials?

And yet, we don't. I don't. Why? Because I'm selfish. I think the world revolves around me getting what I want. I'm not happy unless I have everything I think I need. But life isn't about me. This isn't some story starring Chris. This is the tale God is weaving and He is the master plotter, knowing what He needs to do. And my prayer for me is that when I wake up in the morning and face those rough days that I'll be able to counter them with the wonderful promise of 2 Corinthians 4:17,

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Can't wait 'til tomorrow.

C-Dubbs