Wake Up to What Still Matters

Sometimes life pauses us, not out of punishment, but invitation. A time to breathe, to grieve, to notice what still stirs quietly within. In that stillness, ancient words rise again: “Wake up. Strengthen what remains.”

They speak of renewal, of awareness, of finding life even in loss.

A Season of Silence and Surrender

This time has also become a space for mourning.

As I step away from work to grieve the loss of my father, I find that silence has become both a companion and a teacher.

Grief has a way of stripping away what is unnecessary, leaving only what is true.

In that stillness, the ancient words to Sardis have found me again:

“Wake up. Strengthen what remains.”

And somehow, those words have become both comfort and call, a quiet reminder that even in loss, life continues to whisper: Stay awake.

The Illusion of Life

Sardis was once a powerful city, wealthy, successful, alive in appearance, and yet, beneath the surface, it had grown hollow.

“You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.”

Revelation 3:1

That ancient observation feels surprisingly modern.

Our lives today are full of movement and connection, yet sometimes we sense something missing.

We scroll, we achieve, we appear “alive,” but our inner world can feel tired or numb.

It’s easy to carry the image of vitality while quietly running on empty.

The Call to Wakefulness

The letter to Sardis offers an invitation, not a condemnation: “Wake up!”

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To wake up is to become aware again, to life, to presence, to purpose.

It’s to see beyond performance and remember what’s real.

As I prepare for ordination, and as I walk through grief, I’m learning how easily we can become busy doing sacred things while forgetting to be present to holy moments.

The call to wakefulness is gentle but persistent:

Don’t sleep through your own life.

Strengthen What Remains

Even when we feel weary, something good still lives within us, a spark, a kindness, a longing for truth. That’s where renewal begins.

Strengthening what remains doesn’t require grand gestures. It often looks like:

• A moment of stillness before the day begins.

• A simple prayer.

• Choosing love over pride.

• Slowing down long enough to notice grace.

Those small, faithful choices rebuild what life and loss have worn thin.

Staying Awake to Life

This message isn’t just for a church, a city, or a clergy collar; it’s for all of us.

It’s for anyone who’s ever looked alive on the outside but felt a quiet emptiness within.

As I empty myself in readiness for ordination and as I honour my father’s memory, I realise the deeper call isn’t only to serve, it’s to stay awake.

To God.

To others.

To the sacredness of being alive.

Because there is still life in us.

And it’s time to live it fully awake.

Benediction

May what is weary in us find rest.

May what is fading in us find renewal.

May what still flickers with life be fanned into flame.

May we wake each day to what truly matters

to love, to grace, to quiet awareness.

And as we strengthen what remains,

May we learn again the beauty of being fully alive.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Written by: Caroline

Founder, Rise & Reclaim

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