A Day in the Life

   A loud buzzing sound fills my bedroom. My eyes open slightly. I glance over at the nightstand where the clock sits displaying 3 a.m. The debating committee in my head contemplates hitting the snooze button. Today’s choice is to get up.  Placing my feet on the floor, I arise and sit on the edge of the pillow top mattress. I rub my eyes and greet a new day. The alarm worked like a charm. I have gotten out of bed, and the first hurdle of the day has been successful.

 There is a reason behind getting up early. The answer to this early birds rise is not typical. Yes, I have to be at work on time that happens to be 5 in the morning. Driving the thirty minute commute is inevitable.  The twenty minute hygiene time is going through the motion. Coffee and a cigarette are optional. All of those steps are necessary to fulfill my responsibility to the employer. The real deal is my commitment to Christ. I have to start my day off in the Light because failing to do so opens the top to Pandora’s Box.

   Before I was saved, my reactions to life’s terms were filled with negative thinking and wrongful behavior. I did not look forward in crawling out of bed because there was nothing I liked about the world. I was engulfed with anger, and full of pessimism. I treated others unkindly and caused harm to those around me. I felt entitled to everything and wallowed in self-pity because nothing good was happening. My conscience was non-existent, and I compromised every Christian moral imaginable. I was like a tornado leaving behind a long trail of wreckage.    

   So, upon awaking it is imperative for me to start my devotion. Surrendering myself to God is the difference maker in responding spiritually to the challenges of the day. That gives me the best possible approach in facing the people, places and things I will encounter. I have learned through salvation, there are hidden situations contained in a twenty-four hour period. My preparation is proportionate in the way I handle the ups and downs of life.

   As a result, from following God, I have come to understand that a day in life has a series of books at my disposal. In order for me to reach for the right one I need support. God has the only bookends strong enough to keep me from leaning. He allows me to stay upright under all circumstances. No matter how faltering I become the wisdom in overcoming my difficulties lies in God’s library. The Bible is the truth. The key to unlocking the door to God’s kingdom is putting faith into action, and His rewards are limitless. I no longer have to stumble over the events of the day.

   At the end of every day, I set aside time with Christ to examine myself. I sit down and write about the events of the day, reviewing the times I have fallen short, people I have hurt and asking for forgiveness. I include situations where I acted spiritually and thank Jesus for guiding me. Now I can sleep in peace with a clean slate, clear conscience and the promise of a better tomorrow. 

    

This article was part of a writer's challenge submitted to Faith Writers several months ago. The topic was bookends and the word count was 725 or less.