The Rite Aid on the corner of Eisenhower and Wilson in Hanover has been watering its lawn with automatic sprinklers very early every morning all summer and late into the fall. In June and July when the sun was already up at 5 a.m. it wasn’t a problem to negotiate between the shooting streams of water or avoid them altogether while on my run. But as darkness once again claimed the morning, it was easy to be in the middle of the gauntlet before realizing the water was being shot out into the air.

This is what happened a few Fridays ago. I could see some of the streams of water as they rotated over the sidewalk and then back toward the drug store (and those I saw I avoided). One step away from dry pavement I got struck in the back of the head with one large spit of water strong enough to cause me to lurch forward. Back in the summer that might have felt refreshing but not in November. It’s the one you don’t see that gets you. It soaked my head and soured my disposition for a little while.

Who waters their lawn in the winter?! No doubt there’s someone watching that controls those sprinklers and they’re laughing right now! These were just a few of the thoughts I had … the printable ones. The fact is there is someone purposely trying to get us to start every day off on the wrong foot. Fortunately, there’s another Someone who stands ready to help us regain our equilibrium (and no His name is not Folgers or Maxwell House; although they may help).

Make Jesus a part of your morning routine – the people you live, go to school or work with will be glad you did. Because we’re either a shower of blessing or a thunderstorm and the difference is with whom we spend our morning.

– Pastor Joel Everhart