07/10/2025
Waking up early is second nature to me.
It’s been my rhythm for years—get up, get moving, and get ready to be the dad, the provider, the man with a purpose. Most mornings, I jump into the routine without thinking. But some days… I linger. I stay in bed just a little too long.
That’s when the voices come.
“You’re too tired.”
“You stayed up too late.”
“Just sleep a little longer.”
And if I hesitate? More voices pile on.
“I don’t want to.”
“This is too hard.”
“Why are you working so hard?”
Then come the deeper ones—those persistent, familiar thoughts. They arrive like telephone poles lined along a country road. Some lean, a little worn. Others stand tall and proud. But they’re always there when you slow down enough to notice.
“No one cares.”
“You make too many mistakes.”
“He doesn’t really love you.”
“You’re never truly happy.”
“Remember how much that hurt?”
These aren’t just passing thoughts. They’re old voices—echoes from the past that still find a way to speak in the quiet morning hours. Words that have shaped me. Words I thought I had left behind.
And yet, there they are.
This morning, they whispered again. Regret. Shame. Memories of missed chances, broken connections, and wounds not yet healed.
And then... my cat.
She laid next to me, soft and persistent. “Pet me.” Her eyes said it all. She didn’t care about my shame or my thoughts. She just wanted love—and wanted to give it. That moment broke the spell. Her purr reminded me: You are seen. You are wanted. You are loved.
I’ve done the emotional work. Climbed mountains I never thought I’d climb. But today reminded me: the work isn’t over. It never really is.
I fed my cat. I took a shower. I sat down here to remind myself—and you—of one truth:
God loves you.
These words are like stretching a sore back or rubbing a tired arm. They help us move with compassion—for ourselves, for our journey, for the present moment.
We move forward—not because everything is perfect, but because we are loved.
I Love You,
Dan Clark
Live Life Abundantly
