Quiet

The morning air is fresh and crisp. It is fragrant with underlying scents of pine and spruce.  It beckons me out onto the porch, along with a soft blanket and a steaming hot mug of coffee. 

Looking up, I see the brightest of the stars faintly twinkling in the pre-dawn sky.  This sight leaves me awestruck as realization dawns over just how little I know about God’s perfect placement of all the stars within His creation.  

Just then, the heavens open wide. A shaft of bright yellow light breaks over the horizon and radiates through the trees. My smile expands as the quiet light grows, and brightens in hue.  Oranges, pinks, yellows, and shades of purple all begin to light up the sky; each pattern of color shifting and changing as the seconds tick away.  

The sunrise has come. 

This show of color is but a glorious beckoning to all that awaits in the unfolding of the next few minutes.  

And yet, the world remains quiet. The sky is putting on a brilliant concert of color, creating a masterpiece of glory that even the best of cameras would have difficulty capturing.  

As exquisite light spills over the horizon, I soak in the orb of heat and brilliant rays of light that break through the trees. The beams cast their radiance upon the rocks, fields, and mountains. The sunshine spreads, breaking through the darkness, revealing life and beauty all around.  It breaches the quiet of the night to encourage a great awakening.

 A distant rooster crows. It’s at this very moment that I realize I have been holding my breath.  I slowly let it out as I take in the tranquility of the beginning of this day.  The beacon of light continues to grow, and the colors expand to become more brilliant. The sun advances over the horizon.

Oh, to simply remain in this moment of pastoral peace!  

But, this moment is fleeting. Even as I blink, the colors rapidly change and the day becomes brighter. The radiant colors fade into one glorious hue of yellow. The masterpiece within the sky begins to illuminate the truth that a new day has dawned. The quiet beauty is but a gracious gift offered to usher in this fresh day.

This is the day the Lord has made.

    We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24, NLT

The morning dawns to offer peace, beauty, and tranquility. It is the beholder’s gift to hold onto as the day unfolds. As these morning moments slip away, I relish the open invitation to once again meet my Father at dawn the very next morning.

 I breathe out a prayer of thankfulness.  

Thank you, Lord, for the sunrise and for its quiet beauty.  Thank you for the gift of this moment. May I hold onto the peace it provides, especially when the day may bring a fair share of challenges and upheaval.  

I look forward, with joyful anticipation, for meeting again in the morrow.  

Thank you for this brilliant gift you give us with the dawn of each new day.

Praise You for Your mercies that are new each morning.

Amen