By: Joy Summers,
I did it again.
The alarm on my phone was blaring after snoozing it multiple times. I switched it off only to end up scrolling through social media.
There had to be a better way to start the day.
That’s when it hit me. A memory of my interview with Joni Eareckson Tada.
Joni is one of the most incredible women I’ve had the honor of interviewing. Joni is a Christian author, painter, quadriplegic, and the founder of Joni and Friends, a ministry which accelerates Christian outreach in the disability community.
She cannot physically get herself out of bed, so in those moments while she waits for someone to come help her up, she prays:
“Lord, I need you. I can’t get through this day without you.”
As she lays there, she declares her need for God. The part that has never left me though, is what she said next.
“Joni who faces so many challenges every day feels badly for us. She cannot escape her dependency on God, a keen awareness most of us don’t have.”
So I’m taking a page from Joni and changing up more morning routine.
I open my eyes and pray Joni Eareckson Tada’s prayer before I scroll on my phone or my feet hit the floor. Before the rush… before the noise… first, comes God.
It changes your day as you simply surrender yourself to the God who is ultimately in control. It helps you remember you are wholly dependent on Him when it is so easy to try to do it on our own…That’s also one of the many reasons I love WayFM. Every single song is filled with the message of Jesus, pointing our wandering hearts back to Him – not just first thing in the morning, but throughout the day.
We can’t put air in our lungs or even wake ourselves up, and yet we attempt to handle all life throws at us on our own. We wait to turn to God for help only when we cannot handle life’s bumps and bruises.
I’m learning to reverse that process these days and go to God first. He is my source of strength. Plus, starting my day in surrender to God leaves me feeling WAY better than scrolling!
