Charge!

Every morning I roll out of bed with the same goal in mind.  It doesn't matter if I roll out at 6AM or noon, the same routine ensues.  I squint and fumble for my glasses, shuffle into the kitchen, prep the coffee maker, head to the toity, brush my teeth and smile as the inviting aroma wafts into my nostrils.  I pour myself a cup and curl up into my huge, over-stuffed chair, draw the curtains, and take in the morning (or afternoon) moment.  After, and only after, do I feel I can face the day.  A daily charge, perhaps?  I think so.

Coffee, I'm not ashamed to admit, has become my morning charge.  Even on warm summer days a cup of coffee brings me comfort before the start of a new day.  But, the coffee charge was not created to last 14-16 hours.  Unfortunately, throughout my day I turn to other, less comforting, but just as effective forms of recharge.  Mid-morning I reach for that ever-so-tempting protein bar.  Lunch I'm all over the apple salad with green tea.  In the afternoon I'm lucky to catch a quick walk or stretch.  By evening, I'm in desperate need of some carbs topped with something tomatoey.  Before I know it, the day is done and I'm ready for the biggest re-charge of all, hitting the pillow for 6-8 hours before doing it all over again.

All daily life really is, is recharge after recharge.  Gathering energy to turn into something useful.  I'd compare our bodies to a toy car running on battery.  Sometimes, my battery gets so low, the daily recharge doesn't seem to do the trick.  As if something outside myself is sucking the energy out of me so quickly a million cups of coffee or apple salads couldn't fix it.  That's when I know I need a super-charge.  My super-charge usually includes lacing up the hiking boots and capturing the world at 10,000 feet.  Other charges include: finding a good book, hearing inspiring words, beginning a creative project, hosting a dinner, taking a second to think, or striking up a conversation with a stranger in the grocery store.  Sometimes it's purchasing a plane ticket or taking a long drive.  Once in a great while, the only super-charge I have enough stored energy for is a good curl up in bed and sleep forever.

The super-charge is powerful.  No doubt a super-charge every other week would keep me going day-to-day.  But, if I'm totally honest with you, Void, (which I try very hard to be) super-charges aren't quite enough.  When the weight is so heavy and so burdensome there is only one charge which can remove it.  The Ultimate Recharge.  The Ultimate Recharge comes from opening my Bible and finding comfort in the words, "I know the plans I have for you.  Plans to prosper you and give you a future."  Or, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."  And better yet, "I have summoned you, and called you by name; you are mine."  His words, Jesus' words, my Father's words.  Can it get more electrifying?  The Ultimate Recharge is "The Way and The Truth and The Life."

Only after an Ultimate Recharge, may my normality return.  Life is good again.  Whatever weight which was extracting my energy ceases.  My body is free to turn energy into productivity.  My mind is free to make sense of the world.  My soul is calm, collected, and uncharacteristically quiet.  The Ultimate Recharge is what makes the everyday life worth living because in the end I know I'm going to a place where I won't need a daily charge.  In the end, I'll be in a place where energy never runs out and hyper charge is normal.  In the end, I'll have eternal batteries.  That, Void, is good news.