“Rise and shine! Day has broken!” Regardless of the circumstances, that was our father’s morning wake-up call. Who needed an alarm clock with Dad around?

His greeting came:

• After dates
• After slumber parties
• On weekends
• On holidays
• Every single day

Friends might sleep until noon, but not us. We crawled out of bed. Dad said it was time to face the day, so we faced the day. At times we:

• Muttered under our breath
• Wanted to throw a pillow at him
• Wondered how any sane person could be cheerful that early

Nevertheless, Dad said to rise and shine. Rise we did. Shine … not so often.

I now know Dad didn’t always feel that cheerful either. But whether he felt it or not, he said it.

The message we received from that daily ritual included more than, “Get up you sleepyheads.” Dad was telling us:

• Every day’s an adventure. Don’t waste it.
• We have much to do. Let’s do it.

Of course, Dad was right. Every day holds adventure. To see it, we must open our eyes. To make the most of it, we have to open our hearts.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you” (Isaiah 60:1 NIV).

Did your Dad or Mom have a favorite expression? If so, I’d love to hear it.

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