TAKE TIME FOR A SUNRISE
It was February two or three years ago, and I was returning home
from a fishing trip. It was 2 or 3 a.m., and I was headed east on
Interstate 70 for a 10-hour drive. By the time Denver and its lights
were behind me, everything in front was darkness. Except for the
small-town, all-night interstate gas stations and the occasional
single light pole in the barnyard, all along the highway was black.
It seemed the drive would be long and exhausting.
At 6 a.m. or so, things changed. Our heavenly Father parted the
dark sky with a sunrise that began with a faint glow right over the
pavement, then grew for more than two hours into a display like I
had never seen. Dark clouds from the night before layered the
horizon and the sunrise seemed to multiply through the fissures
between. Indescribable shades of gold, orange, pink, purple and blue
amazed me and energized me. This side of God's creation was waking
up in glorious style. I was awake with wonder.
And why are we so enchanted with sunsets, I wondered. This is a
new day, and if we paid more attention to sunrises, especially ones
like that one, we would know God is with us for all of our days. I
am awake before dawn every day, but I never took two hours to sit
and watch a sunrise before. I do now.
Arise, shine; for your Light has come. That light is Christ Jesus
for us. For Isaiah and the Israelites, it was the promise God made
for his chosen people that a Messiah would come.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the Light in our world through
your Son. Help us to see the wonders of your world that we often
miss because we are preoccupied. Amen
Bruce Brittain
