Sunrise

This has to be the best time of the day. It’s early morning right now. It is still very dark and so peacefully quiet. I get up early most days. Some have said that I get up before God. Let me reassure you, He doesn’t go to sleep so I know He is here somewhere. But this time of day avails me of many things the rest of the day does not. And especially one.
The only sounds I hear are the occasional car and the creaking of this old house. For some reason, the quietness of this time of the morning has a calming effect. Nowhere to be, no one to see right away, no axe to grind and definitely no deadlines to meet. Funny word, deadline. Think about it for a minute and you may be asking yourself, “What is the dead part?”
For some wonderful reason I live for this time of the day. The day usually starts with the daily paper and then check the computer for emails. Usually no personal emails, just jokes, advertisements, and spam. I guess no one loves me today, no personal emails. It doesn’t take long to get rid of the junk. The tv is not on and no inane drivel emulating from the radio dial. There are no phone calls for at least another four hours. Nothing. Just peace and quiet.
So what can you do at this time of day? Well, you can accomplish all those jobs that only take one person with peace and quit. You can smell the wonderful aroma of the coffee fresh brewed or you can meet with God. You can look out the window and watch the sun rise, and even look for the first bird of the morning.
I knew a person a number of years ago who was full of love and life. Over a number of months we talked at length about the beautiful things in life. I was amazed one day when they mentioned they had never experienced a sunrise. After more then forty-seven years, it didn’t take long to set a time and date. Just before five a.m. that warm hazy spring morning I was picking up my friend. Just so happens that I knew the best place to watch this amazing sight. The beauty of that morning was not just in that sunrise, but watching their eyes see the sun break over the morning haze and turn the dew into a myriad of sparkling stars on their first morning broken. And in my mind I sang along with Cat Stevens, the lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the world

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

You see, it is this time of the day that my Lord and I can walk and talk with no interruption. It was just Him and I reliving the experience of Adam. Walking in the garden and feeling the wet grass under foot. Opening my bible to the next page, God speaks to me and I gaze out over His creation as He touches my soul. In these very peaceful moments, I recognize beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is predominantly in the quietness of the morning, when the noise of life is absent, that I can hear God speak in His still small voice.
Can you hear Him? Rob