When the alarm rings

Blessed sunrise 🌄

"An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day."
- Henry David Thoreau

I hit snoozed three times before I was able to leave the warmth of my bed. My watch read 7:30am. It was a Tuesday morning, and I was working from home today. 

I have never been good at waking up early. My preferred time (read: regain consciousness without alarms) to leave bed is between 9:30 to 10:30am. But during the pandemic, and working from home was the only way to work, I was on a mission to wake up early (7:30am). Some days I succeeded, but mostly I failed and slept till work started. 

Now that life has somewhat returned to what it was before (going into the office again - groan), I have been waking up at 6:30am. I would congratulate myself and pat myself on the back, but I lost all sense of accomplishment once I step into the office and needed caffeine to regain consciousness. Then I'll be working at half-tank for the rest of the day. After lunch, my tank would have depleted, and I fight (hard) to stay awake. 

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL. 

So on days when I get to work from home, I try to start the day well. Which means,

6:30am: jump out of bed
7:00am: go for a morning walk and mull over what to make for breakfast (with slow drip coffee)
8:00am: return from the walk to prepare and eat said homemade breakfast (with slow drip coffee)
8:30am: shower after a satisfying breakfast 
9:00am: start work

all of which I failed to do. 

The reality is more like,

68:30am: jump out of bed
7:00am: go for a morning walk and mull over what to make for breakfast (with slow drip coffee)
8:00am: return from the walk to prepare and eat said homemade breakfast (with slow drip coffee)
8:30am: shower after a satisfying breakfast 
9:00am: start work sans breakfast

Needless to say, I am quite discouraged. 

Yet, miraculously, on that fated Tuesday morning, I left my bed at 7:30am. 

I changed into my workout gear, got out of the house, and embarked on my morning walk at the nearby park.

I could finally see the park in all its glorious colours. The cool morning breeze tickled my arms, legs and face. The blues and yellows of the morning sky greeted my eyes. It was wonderful. I was refreshed and happy. Such was my joy that I even did a short jog! 

After the walk, I prepared breakfast - drip coffee and toast - and ate it leisurely while doing my quiet time. Everything tasted better, and my focus on God was sharper than ever because (1) I was refreshed after the walk and (2) I was so grateful for His blessings upon me. 

I was thanking Him for every little thing that He blessed me with, i.e. the house, the area I'm living in, the fine weather, the park nearby, the fresh air, the fulfilling breakfast, the peace and joy instilled in me. I was just so thankful. 

It was a rare and beautiful way to start my day. 

After a quick shower, I sat at my desk and turned on my laptop, all ready for work. And that feeling of fullness, of contentment, of thankfulness lasted throughout the day. I was also more aware of His presence and engaged with Him more often.

Now I know what Henry Ward Beecher meant when he said, "the first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day." 

How true, how true.