Wakeup Call

What is the first sound that you hear each morning? Usually, before I open my eyes, I hear dogs whining. Sometimes, if I am very quiet, I can have the luxury of staying in a warm bed for a few stolen moments before I start the daily routine.

I am the pet feeder. Once the two dogs and three cats hear me, there is no rest or peace in the house until they are satisfied.

I follow the same routine each morning. I let the "alpha" dog out of my son's room. That is our oldest dog--a collie. She goes out briefly and then I feed and water her in her cage. The small cocker then goes outside and back in to be fed and watered in the hallway.

While the dogs eat, I feed the cat that is on the back porch. She has been meowing loudly ever since the first dog went out. Water and cat food are placed on top of the picnic table. Why in this order and on top of the table? So that the collie doesn't eat the cat food.

Next the two cats in the garage are fed. They too have been singing a loud grating chorus until I arrive with their cat food. They do not get along with the porch cat so they are fed separately.

There is still no peace. The cocker is never satisfied. She finishes in the hallway and begins searching the floor for more morsels of food. One morning, recently, she wandered to the back door and discovered the cat food canister. She knocked the lid off and stuck her head in--for another snack. She could get her head in, but not back out.

I arrived in the living room to a loud banging noise as the pup careened off the furniture trying to get out of her "food trough". I wanted to take a picture but feared she might run short of air inside this canister. I jerked the canister off as the cat food went all over the carpet.

What did the puppy do next? She scrambled around, devouring the cat food off of the floor. I collapsed with laughter. I would not even have to sweep this up; the food would be gone before I could get the broom.

My twenty minute pet feeding ritual is over. There is no rest for my ears or time for a cup of coffee until all the animals are satisfied. I don't even get the day off on the weekends.

I began to wonder, do I hunger for God as soon as I wake up, like these pets crave their food? What is the first thing God hears from me each morning?

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

Psalms 42:1,2

My soul yearns for you in the night;

in the morning my spirit longs for you.

Isaiah 26:9

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you.

Be our strength every morning.

Isaiah 33:2

Lord, I want my first thoughts to be about you each morning. Help me to see that true satisfaction comes from seeking you first and no other. Let me see how much I need you. May I not rest until I am fed from your Word each morning.

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