Do you believe witnessing a winter sunrise is...

Do you believe witnessing a  winter sunrise in your backyard or at the beach is a soul healing process…even in January?  I do! Early morning walks welcome happy places that my heart embraces.  When endless thoughts cause weariness and wonder to plague minds, pondering what we could have done or should do about life decisions can keep us wide awake in the still of the night. When restlessness settles in, rising up to read, pray, journal, even take a winter walk on the beach or in one’s backyard can bring blessings to burdened hearts.

Are you dealing with long, sleepless nights that send you out the door cranky and concerned? Do you embrace sound sleep and awake at the crack of dawn to enjoy a powerful sunrise and day in the place Dr. Seuss encouraged people to cherish…the happy place?  Sunrises can be just what the Great Physician orders to chase away sleepless nights and give promise for a new day, a new opportunity, and a fresh start.  If night wears you down, get up and go watch the sun come up! 

Can you imagine the sleepless nights Job endured when he had no idea why his world was being turned upside down?

Reading Job 7: 3-4 paints the picture of a worn out, weary man seeking a new sunrise.

“So, I have been allotted months of futility, and wearisome nights have been appointed to me.  When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, and the night be ended?’ For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.”

Job was restless, brokenhearted, burdened, and wondered, ‘why me, Lord’?

The Lord waited as the enemy tormented and took Job’s family, home, livestock, even friends who questioned why he stayed faithful to God, wondering what Job might have done to cause his troubles?  Reading the story in the Bible brings life to the joyous ending when Job could sleep again and each new sunrise held promise as he recounted his new blessings with gratitude and glory to God.

Sleepless nights can cause people to miss blessings of new days.  Job could have listened to advice from his well-meaning but faithless friends. However, he chose to trust God, listen but not be swayed, and reap  rewards of faithful living even when he could not see the sunshining in his world.

Do you feel your sunshine has been taken away and sweet sleep seems impossible? Are you plagued by things in your past and perplexed by fear of the future? Does worry keep you up nights and down in the dumps during the day? 

The Lord says we are not to worry about tomorrow for…  ‘sufficient for the day is its own trouble’!  Matthew 6:34

When past mistakes, heartaches, and troubles spoil sunrises and ruin days, the only cure is to hand them over to the One who created us and cares for us like He does the sparrows in the trees.

The past is gone, we cannot change it!  Walking down the beach, in the backyard, on the treadmill, or around the block,  without Tim or James by my side sometimes makes me sad. Often, I wipe tears while remembering morning walks with them when we witnessed sunrises and new days together.  Yet, I cannot change the past, neither can you! We must rise up like the sun and shine for Jesus even when it seems we get stuck in winter! Satan longs to spoil dreams and destroy lives. However, when we put our trust in God and keep walking on in faith to new sunrises…happiness happens in His perfect timing.

No matter what has happened in your life, you cannot go back and change it, nor can you predict the future.  Like Job, we do not always know exactly why bad things happen to us and to those we love.  However, we cannot stop enjoying life and witnessing sunrises with hope and promise in our hearts just because our life might not be turning out the way we planned.  We can move forward when we keep our eyes on Jesus!

When our hearts are cleaned out and minds clearly focused on God’s will and living by His way, we can have a little talk with Jesus and sleep, sleep, sleep!  Then, when morning breaks, we can rise up and enjoy a splendid sunrise.  As we step in faith, we can cry out for God’s sufficient grace each morning, knowing He will provide according to our needs!

Dawn is coming with a fresh start, a new day, and a clean slate when we get things right with the One who made us and will one day welcome us Home!

Lord, thank you that by Your Son, we can receive grace and mercy. Each new sunrise is a reminder that every day starts anew and so can we!  Glorious sunrises and great days are reasons to give God glory and go tell it to our families, peers, and people God puts in our paths!

Do not get stuck in winter season!  Even though it’s cold outside, we can get up and do something that warms our hearts. Try writing in your journal wrapped in a cozy blanket, reading by the fireplace while sipping hot cocoa, watching a splendid sunrise from your favorite window seat, or taking a walk outside and enjoying wonders of the season at hand. Talk to Jesus, tell Him your troubles, shed a few tears, face your fears, decide it will be a good year, and soon, you will be in forward gear…feeling grand!