Morning Song: Waking Up Singing
/The connection of JOY with singing for week 3 of Advent makes me think of a meditation from our newly published book of meditations, Glory in Disguise: Seeing God in our Every Day (see FREE offer below). Grabbing hold of Him who is the fullness of JOY throughout our day is easier when we “wake up singing.”
Enjoy this meditation with us. And may you be blessed to see there is JOY in the midst of what may be your very hard circumstances when your Source is Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Psalm 100:1-2 NLT
What is it about two-year-olds? Do they all wake up singing? Or do we not notice that they do, until they don’t? William and Claire, brother and sister (and our two youngest grandchildren) would wake up singing every morning when they were two years old. And each of them had their own unique repertoire.
William is the oldest. When he was two, William was our amazingly verbal comedian. And he would hit the ground running in the morning and keep it going till dropping into bed at night.
John and I visited often and stayed in their guest room when William was two. As I was barely awake one morning, I heard cheerful singing coming down the stairway from his bedroom into the guest room. It was William singing and singing. No one else was up in the household, just our little William, greeting the day with song.
Apparently, he did this most mornings, and his repertoire included "Mr. Golden Sun," "You are My Sunshine," and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," with a smattering of "Tomorrow" and other songs added in. So precious. (But then my bubble burst one day when he woke up singing the "John Cena Wrestling song" Oh well.)
Years later when William’s sweet sister Claire was two-years-old, she would also wake up with a song in her heart and on her lips. So then we were being awakened in the guest room by the sweet sounds of darling Claire’s lilting voice.
But Claire’s songs had a unique “dimension” to them. Although they were ones she had heard over and over again on her favorite show “Mother Goose Club,” Claire often added a little twist. Claire’s fun older brother Eli was often the subject of her songs.
For instance,
Old MacDonald had a farm, ELI, ELI, O
and on his farm he had a cow, ELI, ELI, O…
Another “unusual” one to hear spill out of the mouth of little Claire was
Day-O, Day, -ay, -ay, -ay -O
ELI come an’ I wanna go home…
I still giggle, thinking about Claire and her big brother Eli.
And Claire makes me smile and think of my own Big Brother — not in my family of origin (I am the oldest of 7). No, I’m thinking of my Big Brother in the family of God, my Lord Jesus Christ.
We usually don’t think of Jesus as our Brother, but what a precious truth this is. As our Brother, He understands and sympathizes because He became one of us — totally human. But He is also able to help and save to the uttermost because He is God — totally divine.
So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters…it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
Hebrews 2:13-18 NLT
And so I want Him to be the theme of all my songs as I walk out this life -- when I wake up and fall asleep at night and every moment in between.
May I ask you, dear friends, how do you wake up every day? Grumpy or grateful? And Who is the theme of the song of your life? Yourself or your Lord?
Why not “sing” Him into every moment of your day?
Morning Song
As the birds sing with delight
In their morning chorus
Let’s lift up our voices
To the One Who is for us.
Let’s offer Him thanksgiving
For every new day
Acknowledging his presence
While unceasingly we pray.
Let’s sing songs of love
And shower Him with praise.
And walk hand in hand with Him
Throughout all our days.
Penny Mandeville
Prayer
Lord, You are the Song of my life. Remind me from the moment I awaken to turn to You in praise and gratitude. And teach me to sing You, O my Jesus, into every moment of my day. In Your Sonshine-filled Name. Amen.
Reflections
1. Sing to the Lord first thing in the morning. Find your favorite hymn and sing it to the Lord as loud as you dare.
2. May I suggest going to the Bible's songbook, the book of Psalms. See what you can "beg, borrow, or steal" from the inspired singers of the faith. Psalms 100 and 103 are what I have gravitated toward. Notice how the psalmist exhorts his soul as well as all the earth (including "Mr. Golden Sun") to shout with joy and bless the Lord in worship.
3. My own morning song is “Be Thou My Vision.” Through this beautiful, ancient song, I turn my thoughts early in my day to my Lord, my Savior, my Brother, Jesus Christ. I’ll loan it to you (smile).
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light
[Jan’s morning song]
Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the world
[Penny’s grandmother’s morning song]
COVER DESIGN BY JEREMY J LOYD
A perfect gift for a friend or family member who enjoys meditative daily reading. Each meditation begins with a Scripture, a real life story and encouragement with application, followed by a poem and prayer and interactive journaling suggestions.
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