Emphasis Preaching Journal
Arise and shine
Commentary
When I was a youngster, my mother would awaken my siblings and me every morning with a call from the bedroom door, "Arise and shine for the day has come." It wasn't enough that the call always came earlier than desired, but it also came in such a happy and expectant voice. There is only one thing worse than being awakened from a wonderfully deep sleep and that is being awakened by someone who seems to relish the task. My mother's early morning cheerfulness was salt in the wound of another day of school or chores.
