We Woke Up This Morning Again

A couple of Sundays ago, a guest singer came to my church, Lakewood Church.

He shared something that stayed with me.

At some point in his life, he was diagnosed with cancer. He was given months, maybe a few years to live. But somehow, he outlived that timeline. Even though he still has cancer cells in his body, he said something that shifted my perspective:

Every day he wakes up is a blessing.

That simple statement has been sitting in my heart ever since.

Because the truth is… we woke up this morning again.

And sometimes, we overlook that.

We get so caught up in:
– what hasn’t happened yet
– the prayers that feel unanswered
– the life we thought we would have by now

That we forget the quiet miracle of simply being here.

—

Two days ago, I received news that broke my heart.

Someone I knew from college passed away.
He was young. A strong Christian. A husband. A father.

He had children. A wife. A life.

And just like that… he was gone.

There are no perfect words for moments like that.
It reminds you how fragile life really is.

—

And it made me pause.

Because in as much as we are striving; praying, hoping, working toward the next thing, we don’t always realize that waking up is not something we are owed.

It is a gift.

Not because we are better than those who didn’t wake up…
but because God, in His sovereignty, allowed us to see another day.

—

Sometimes we are in such a hurry to “arrive” that we don’t consider:

What if the delay is protection?
What if the waiting is mercy?
What if God, in His love, is pacing our lives in a way we don’t yet understand?

Because truthfully, we don’t know what tomorrow holds.

But we do know this:

We are here today.

—

The Bible reminds us in Lamentations 3:22–23:

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

New mercies.
Every single morning.

That means today—this breath, this moment, this chance is covered in grace.

—

And maybe that’s the encouragement I’m holding onto:

Even when life feels heavy…
Even when things are not making sense…
Even when I’m still waiting for prayers to be answered…

God woke me up again.

Which means:
– there is still purpose
– there is still time
– there is still hope

Another chance to try.
Another chance to trust.
Another chance to believe.

—

I don’t have all the answers.

But I know this:

If you’re reading this, you woke up this morning too.

And maybe, just maybe… that is enough reason to keep going today.

—

A Short Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the gift of today. Thank You for waking us up and giving us another chance to live, to hope, and to trust You. Even when life feels heavy or uncertain, help us to remember that Your mercies are new every morning. Strengthen our hearts, renew our minds, and help us to see Your hand in every moment. Teach us to trust Your timing and to rest in Your love.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.