First Words

I have developed the habit over the years of making my first words of the morning "Jesus, you are welcome here!"

I have found that the very first minutes of our day are critical to the delivery of love. Words are powerful and the ones we choose at the beginning of the day really do set the tone for the entire day.

People here in Brazil know that I have this habit of saying "Jesus, you are welcome here," so, they often send me things they have heard or read that reinforce this practice. Here is one such story that was sent to me by my dear friend pastor Erasmo Vieira.

A few years ago, a radio station ran a contest. Disc jockeys invited their listeners to tune in their clock radios. "Just for fun," they said, "when you wake up to the sound of FM-106, call and tell us the first words you spoke when you rolled out of bed. If you're the third caller, you'll win $106."

It didn't take long for the contest to grow in enthusiasm. The first morning, a buoyant disc jockey said, "Caller number three, what did you say when you rolled out of bed this morning?" A groggy voice said, "Do I smell coffee burning?" Another day, a sleepy clerical worker said, "Oh no, I'm late for work." Somebody else said her first words were, "Honey, did I put out the dog last night?" A muffled curse was immediately heard in the background, and then a man was heard to say, "No, you didn't." It was a funny contest and drew a considerable audience.

One morning, however, the third caller said something unusual. The station phone rang. "Good morning, this is FM-106. You're on the air. What did you say when you rolled out of bed this morning?"

A voice with a Bronx accent replied, "You want to know my first words in the morning?" The bubbly DJ said, "Yes, sir! Tell us what you said."

The Bronx voice responded, "Shema, Israel...Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might." There was a moment of embarrassed silence. Then the radio announcer said, "Sorry, wrong number," and cut to a commercial.

Try to remember. What did you say when you rolled out of bed today? Chances are, those words set the tone for the rest of the day. For the pious Jew the first words of each morning are always the same, and they were the words spoken that morning on FM-106. They were first spoken by Moses, who said, "Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Teach them to your children and talk about them when you lie down and when you rise." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

The human soul is one of the most delicate instruments in the universe. The soul was designed to glorify God by delivering His love without interruption. To love correctly the soul needs to be set to God first thing in the morning or it will be set to something considerably less noble and pure. This is not legalism. It is reality. "What gets your attention gets you."

By the way, what were your first words this morning? Those words say more than you realize.