Out of bed, have a yawn and scratch your head and say thank-you, it’s a brand new day.’ Or so says a Bible club song from years ago. Is that the way you feel every morning? A witty friend re-wrote the song with ‘Get up out of bed, stub your toe and bang your head’. More realistic?

I’ll be honest, I struggle to get up every morning because I don’t want to face my shaky legs. But the longer I leave it, the harder it becomes. When I do get up, the fear and dread often disappear and hope starts to flicker in. I’m sure that many of you have to haul yourselves up every day for work, a hospital appointment, a hungry baby, or a yapping dog. There will always be a reason to get out of bed, welcome or not.

I need to get better at getting up, I know that. I lie listening to the noise of cars roaring on the motorway to their workplaces. They have a clear purpose. For those of us not working, it’s more challenging. What gets you up in the morning? A bad thing or a good purpose? Every morning I say the prayer: ‘Father, help me to live this day to the full.’ But do I?  What would it look like? Being kind to everyone you meet, hugging your family more than criticising them, listening to the birds singing, savoring that first cup of coffee, watching the wind in the trees, noticing the change in the weather, marking the shifting seasons, turning your favourite song up high on the stereo, celebrating even the smallest of improvements in yourself. That is living life as best you can. It doesn’t depend on physical ability, it just depends on you.

So tomorrow morning get up and expect good things to happen. It is a brand new day after all.