SubscribeWake up to joy
From the time my eyes opened fully this morning, the vamp of a rousing Christian song started running though my mind. And it hasn’t stopped yet. It goes “Wake up joy is here. Wake up. Wake up joy is here. Wake up!”
That’s a message that’s good for any day of the week, any moment of the day.
Gospel group Israel and New Breed belts out the song, which is entitled, “Trading My Sorrows,” with spirit-filled gusto. It always gives me an extra bounce when I hear it. So to wake up with it playing in my head just signals to me that today is going to be a great day, no matter what.
The news today is filled with depressing stories (what’s new there?); a couple of family issues have me concerned (if it not one thing, it’s another.) ; and I’ve got a long list of important things to get done before night falls (who doesn’t?). But before I allow myself to be overwhelmed by any of it, I am going to let the words I heard first thing this morning continue to run in my mind like a CD on automatic replay.
I am encouraged today also by the testimonies I heard yesterday from members of my church. We sometimes open space in our Sunday services for members to tell of God’s working in their lives, and yesterday a communal blessing filled the sanctuary as the members related their stories of overcoming sadness, breaking through financial strains, experiencing physical healing and surviving storm damage. What started as distresses for them ended in rejoicing.
They know that the joy of the Lord is their strength and believe as the Scripture says, “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.” For all those waiting for night and day to pass again before experiencing joy, Israel and New Breed sings that “Morning is not necessarily what has an AM next ot it. Morning happens when you wake up.” Even now.
Darrell Evans wrote “Trading My Sorrows”, which was birth spontaneously out of a worship service, in 1997 and calls it one of the powerful songs he has ever written. The song has become one of the most sung worship choruses in churches around the world, according to Crosswalk .com.
In this song about “trading sorrows , sickness and pain and laying them down for the joy of the Lord,” comes this wonderful, empowering refrain, “Yes Lord, Yes Lord, yes, yes Lord, Amen.”
What a great wake up call.
What was on your mind when you woke up this morning?
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