As soon as we awaken each morning, let us offer our first thoughts to God.
The truth is that the first person I encounter every morning when I open my eyes is God. Everything around me is God’s creation, through which he greets me. I breathe in his air and open my eyes to his light. The day, with all its hopes and its trials, rushes into my mind; hopes and trials out of which he will build the road that will lead me on my journey for this day. The amazing thing is that even on the worst of days I can still remember that this is true.
Offering our life to God first thing in the morning is a way of acknowledging with gratitude that that our being, our life, and everything we have belongs to him. I am who I am because I am His creature. Everything that is “Me” is the effect, here and now, of his direct and personal creative and sustaining love. This is what matters, even without professional honors, or a job, or even the ability to do much of anything. His love is everything. Outside of that love there is “nothing.”
I give thanks to the Lord that He has grounded my life in His Truth. Suffering can drive me to forget, or lose focus. But reality remains what it is, and Jesus holds onto me inside that reality and enables me to remember it. He does this through the mystery of His Church, His people who for two thousand years have risen each morning and offered their prayers to God. And so, when I wake up, in whatever condition, with whatever misery or whatever happy expectation, the truth is that I am not alone. I am invited to pray in union with the whole people of God, with the angels and saints, with every creature that exists to sing His praise.
--from my book Never Give Up: My Life and God's Mercy (order: )
