When I Wake
Starting the Day Wrapped in God’s Love
Isaiah 43:1-7
When I wake in the morning, I lay still for a moment, even before my eyes open. I watch the last remnants of a dream flutter and dissolve away. In this season, my schedule allows me to rise at my leisure. I take advantage of the privilege whenever I can. I linger in the silent and darkened bedroom, all colors muted to shades of gray by the curtained window and the creeping dawn. I keep my thoughts centered in the tranquil moment as long as possible. But soon the emotions and duties bookmarked from the previous day start their march across my consciousness. Frankly, I’d like to skip the parade.
Insecurities and Accusations
My first thoughts tend to carry loose ends of to-do’s or emotions weighing upon me. Along with them, worries and insecurities join in—and they respect no boundaries in their subject matter. When are you going to clean out the garage? What are you going to do with all those photos on your phone? When will you finish that decades long project? Did you offend the friend you saw on the weekend? Should you call your kids, or will they feel nagged? What about all those prayer requests you need to get to? What number will the bathroom scale show this morning? How are you going to do better?
Wrapping up this barrage in my vulnerable morning state, accusations arrive and aim lower. That pain will never go away. You make the same mistakes over and over again. How can you still struggle with the same flaws at this age? Do you really think anything will change for you? Say goodbye to all those dreams you had, it’s too late. You can fool yourself, but you’re not fooling anyone else. Have you accomplished anything with your life that truly matters?
Turning on the Light of Truth
“I seek the light of God’s message to fill my mind and lift the shadows of doubt. I need truth to expel the smoky residue of falsehood.”
If I’m wise, I put a stop to this runaway tirade of self and accuser. I slip out of bed and into the presence of the One who knows everything about me and loves me just the same. I open the curtains of the room, along with my Bible, and find a passage for the day. I seek the light of God’s message to fill my mind and lift the shadows of doubt. I need truth to expel the smoky residue of falsehood.
In my sequence of reading, today I hear from the prophet Isaiah:
“Now this is what the LORD says—the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel –'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior. I have given Egypt as a ransom for you, Cush and Seba in your place. Because you are precious in my sight and honored, and I love you, I will give people in exchange for you and nations instead of your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, “Give them up!” and to the south, “Do not hold them back!” Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who bears my name and is created for my glory. I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.” (Isaiah 43:1-7)
My mood lifts at the passionate words poured out by God over the people he loves. In the immediate context, Isaiah addresses God’s chosen people in their time of oppression by foreign conquerors. But I claim the words for my own. As a follower of his son, Jesus, I also bear his Name. I notice the loving declarations:
I created you.
I formed you.
I redeemed you.
I called you by name.
You are mine.
I will be with you.
I am the Lord your God…your Savior.
You are precious in my sight and honored.
I love you.
Do not fear, for I am with you.
I will gather you.
Gathering the Affirmations
I whisper these words of affirmation to myself: created…redeemed…called by name…precious…honored. They float around me like fresh-fallen manna. In the face of holy words, the pre-waking accusations against my worth shrivel away. I awake from the murky night to “You are mine.” I start the new day from this place: “I love you.”
Continuing my reflections, I grab a bright pink sticky-note from the side table and write the declarations in capital letters: created…formed…redeemed…called. I stick it to my pencil cup where I can see it. Looking at those words strung together, I realize it spells out my story with God. He created me for a relationship with him. He formed me in my mother’s womb with purposeful uniqueness. He redeemed me from my rebellion by his own sacrifice. He called me back to his heart and to the meaningful work he plans for me to do. My story expressed in these four words begins my day with gratitude and certainty.
“God speaks my value and worth to me, before and beyond any of my accomplishments or failures.”
Although reassured by knowing to whom I belong, thoughts about waiting tasks stubbornly press in. With each “to do” or “do over,” my anxiety threatens to encroach. To push away the echoes of you didn’t…you forgot…you failed…you can’t, I snap up another a sticky note of lime green. On it I write: precious…honored. God speaks my value and worth to me, before and beyond any of my accomplishments or failures. In fact, the words I read come to the Israelites in the middle of judgment for their disobedience to God’s commands. Love covers chastisement. So, along with gratitude, I may begin my day with peace.
Making it Stick
“The Father watched over me as I slept, and now he prepares me to walk with him as I wake.”
To make some declarations of my own, I decide to read the Isaiah passage again, out loud—for my own ears. Listen up, universe! God tells me: “Do not fear, for I am with you.” I may enter the events and expectations of the world around me in the new day with calm and courage. My inadequacies seem smaller than their stretched-out shadows that loomed in the dawn. In the light of Scripture, my weaknesses transform into opportunities for revealing the glory of God’s presence in me and through me.
The Father watched over me as I slept, and now he prepares me to walk with him as I wake.
Love without Hesitation
I hold a precious memory from waking my own children in the morning. I would enter the room and turn on the overhead light whispering: “Good morning, Sweetheart! Time to get up!” Sometimes I would sing a silly wake-up song made up just for them. They would turn toward my voice with squinched up eyes as the light called them from sleep. Messy curls, and maybe a little drool framed the innocent face, a sight thrilling me to my toes. As they recognized my voice, their eyes opened wide, and a pure smile beamed into mine. Without hesitation, I gathered them up in pure joy.
My babies were vulnerable, weak, without accomplishments, self-focused, and sometimes smelly. They needed me to smooth their way, teach them, comfort them, and clean them. I cherished every single moment. I didn’t recount their mistakes from the day before, revisit their failed attempts, or dread how they might fall short in the new day. I just gathered them up, called out their names, and held them tight. Our togetherness gave me overwhelming joy. Even before a diaper refresh, I grabbed them close and breathed them in. “I love you! You are precious! I am with you! You are mine!”
Which affirmation of God’s love do you need most today?
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