Rise and Shine

     
     Each morning when I wake, I am grateful, I honestly wake up with a smile on my face. Can you relate? I'm a morning person for sure so that just goes along with my early morning enthusiasm, but whether you are an early bird, or the midnight oil burner that has to be crowbarred out of bed, the question is the same, are you grateful for the day that you are about to encounter? Right now amidst a global pandemic, civil unrest, political strife, social isolation, and uncertain tomorrows is it possible to be grateful for the sun coming up today? I'm guessing you've figured me out by now and you probably are picturing something like little Orphan Annie singing "Oh, the sun will come out tomorrow" when you think of me, and guess what? You would be absolutely correct. Whatever this day holds, whatever lies in front of me tomorrow, it is not going to determine how I feel today, how I feel about today, nor is it going to dictate how I live out my day today. I've adopted a mindset that mirrors the words of Ralph Abernathy, friend and colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King, "I do not know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future." So, each morning, every day I wake up, I bounce out of bed, I exercise my body, mind, and spirit, and then I head out the door with the idea forged in my head that I don't know exactly what this day is going to deliver, but I know who the deliverer is. Armed with that mentality I can confidently go forward facing whatever comes my way.
     Simplistic view of life? Coming from someone that doesn't know what struggle is about? Are those or similar thoughts creeping through your frontal lobe? Maybe. Or, maybe the mentality I have allows me to face adverse situations and circumstances a little differently than you, and maybe just maybe you don't know as much about me as you think you do? Maybe I choose to look for the light instead of stumbling around in the darkness and that quest for enlightenment allows me to have the outlook on each day that I do not know what today holds when I wake up this morning, but through it all regardless of it being good or bad, I know who is in control and His word tells me not to worry about tomorrow, just get up and move head first into this day! (Matthew 6:34)
       You can find examples of people around the world that have this rise and shine mentality and when you find them many times they are dealing with a much bigger plate of life's adversity than you or I will ever be served. Take Rob Mendez, the high school football coach that has no arms or legs. Inspiring? Motivational? Absolutely, but more than that his example should make you feel ashamed if you wake up tomorrow morning and complain about having to get up and go to work. What about Zion Clark, a collegiate wrestler that has no lower body extremities? Shouldn't he be getting up in the mornings blaming God and holding a grudge against all those that have been blessed with two legs, two feet, and ten toes? Not happening, Zion says don't pity me, and then he displays why when he takes to the wrestling mat and defeats that very same person with two legs. People like Coach Mendez and Zion Clark have had to overcome a great deal of adversity in life and I'm pretty sure they face a considerable amount of uncertainty about what each new day holds for them health wise and just plain old daily living wise, but it is obvious that they have decided that they don't have to know what is in store for them today because they know who holds each day.
       You make the choice, rise and shine or roll out and survive. You get to decide if this is going to be a beautiful day. Regardless of rain, snow, sleet, or tsunami we choose how our day is going to be. Circumstances are going to be just that, and situations are going to make life challenging and even hard to bare, yet through it all if we know who holds each day, then we know that as He holds each day He is also holding each of us. Live life to the fullest, quit worrying about your situation and start looking at others situations that you can have a positive impact on through your engagement and interaction. When you start the process of removing self from the equation you will begin to see that your life matters not because of you, but because you can make the lives of others better. Don't worry about tomorrow, rise and shine today, because that is the gift you have been given. Remember, it is better to give than to receive so that life you have been given, go out and give it away in service to and for others! It will make all the difference in your way of thinking and the plans you make to assure this big, old rock keeps spinning around and around!
Rise up today, tomorrow, and each day that you are blessed to have, and shine!
Coach Carter