Early Morning Riser is a term never applied to myself. Loving the sound of it and appreciating it in others, the value itself has not held the allure for me to rise up and leave that comfy bed. Memories of late mornings, especially Saturdays when the kids were elsewhere, are distant now. Gone is the luxury of lazy stretching, contemplating, and the slow assent into mornings.
The darkness in these early morning hours has become familiar to me now. I am not afraid. Not because I have come to trust the dark, but to embrace the light! Thank you, Lord, for the blessings of each new day, for the increased awareness of your deity, your sovereignty, your sacrifice, your love and graciousness. Thank you for my sight of your lightness and in my words and actions, may I always reflect your glory!
Lamenting my loss of leisure and berating Mr. Arthritis, the recent thorn in my flesh, a beautiful and treasured awareness has taken place over the past year. The darkness that greets me outside this sunroom embraces me like a cocoon. The house remains quiet with only the sound of Mother's pendulum clock breaking through my consciousness, and with that, too, receding rapidly.
Reaching for my laptop and catching up on the last night's events keep me occupied, along with that first cup of coffee, of course.
Then it catches my attention...that first awakening of the tiniest bit of light. Changing imperceptively, I realize God is slowly starting my day. No birds yet pierce the air with their talk, no movement even in the cattle next door. A peacefulness invades my world, and I am oh, so content!
The earlier darkness had clothed me in assurance, but wasn't it because of my stable position indoors? If the darkness has surrounded me in the middle of a field, wouldn't the effect be certainly one of unprotected, insecure and endangered? Does the walled and windowed sunroom dispel the illusion of safety? Because I desire to believe in the safety of my own home, I push away any thought of invasion of privacy or intrusion.
How easily one can believe and trust in one's feelings and justifications...to rely on self-worth, pride and self-indulgence.
Since the beginning, man has desired and pursued a god-like appearance, intelligence and power. Believing himself to be superior in intellect, too many have scoffed at any notion of a supreme being and savior of the world. Belittling and scorning the "peasant" style faith, theories and hypothesis become their truths, likening themselves to the truly enlightened.
Sad that the efforts of these intelligent individuals were not directed at espousing the Bible truths, that the "light" in enlightened refers to the blazing love, truth, passion, and totally devoted savior of our entire world!
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)
The darkness in these early morning hours has become familiar to me now. I am not afraid. Not because I have come to trust the dark, but to embrace the light! Thank you, Lord, for the blessings of each new day, for the increased awareness of your deity, your sovereignty, your sacrifice, your love and graciousness. Thank you for my sight of your lightness and in my words and actions, may I always reflect your glory!
