Wake Up

There’s a phrase that I live by that says “God whispers before the thunder.” What this means to me is that life will speak to you and gradually ramp up the volume until you get the picture.

I remember as a boy my mother would often wake my brother and me up for school. As we were nestled in our beds, the mornings would generally begin with my mother slipping her head in the door with a light “Boys, time to get up.” Usually, I would begin to stir right away; my brother still out like a light. After a few more minutes of trying to get my bearings, my mother would peek in again, voice a little firmer, “Boys, get up.” My stirring picked up a bit, as I would sit up, eyes still drooping, head still bobbing, my brother still prostrate, wheezing and drooling in slumber.

Staggering and rubbing sleepy eyes, I make my way to the bathroom. I was welcomed with a kiss on the cheek; she knew I was trying and offered a much-needed nudge of encouragement. As for my non-responsive brother, he got another stern “Get up” followed by a “Son, this is my last time.” Next thing you know, Ma was snatching open curtains and grabbing blankets. Of course, at this point my non-responsive little brother was all response-- wailing out, frustrated, mad and uncomfortable, but there were several opportunities to wake up before it got to that.

Fast-forward twenty years, the question is have you yet to wake up? Of course, I don’t mean your mother prodding you to start your school day, but life altogether-- be it a relationship, a way of living, or a job—is it time for you to wake up. When it’s time to wake up, life will give us subtle nudges to get up and get going. The whispers could be that urge for more, your grappling with a dream unfulfilled, or even a lack of support. Whatever it is, there are signals and cues to let you know, it’s time for what’s next. But we choose to ignore. We sit and deal and pull the covers over our heads. Only that doesn’t stop the whispers—in fact, it causes the whispers to heighten. And we go through life, stirring with our eyes closed until life is yelling and snatches back the sheets.

But the best part is the thunder is working in your favor; the thunder is for you. The thunder is to snap you out of it, to get you from under the covers and moving on. Only it’s our responsibility to take heed. What’s more is we hear the whisper, we always have, but it’s the thunder that’s gotten the reaction. Don’t be mad at the thunder, just learn the lesson. Hear it and wake up.