Where morning dawns and evening fades

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; 

where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.  

Psalm 65:8 NIV

Early morning is my favorite time of day. The house is quiet and even the dog just wants to lie in her bed and catch five more minutes of uninterrupted sleep. There is something spectacular to me about getting up while the house is still dark, turning on the fireplace, lighting a couple of candles and tuning into my favorite Pandora station...one of instrumental soothing music. It starts my day in a peaceful, calm, relaxed way and I love it!

Early morning is when everything begins again anew.  Yesterday's failures are behind, incomplete tasks have been put to bed, the body and mind are given a fresh, clean slate with which to start again.  That brings me great comfort.

Outside my back windows I can see the sunrise.  We've lived here going on eight years, now, and only last year did I really notice how beautiful the sunrise was outside my own back door.  One morning, after a particularly long chemo treatment, I sat in my chair looking out the window at the sunrise and was overcome by it's beauty.  How could I have missed it all of these years?  How many gorgeous sunrises had I missed?  How many fuchsia skies?  How many autumn trees?  How much had gone unnoticed?  How many more beautiful sunrises would I not see if I died?

Psalms 65 says, "The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy."  How many opportunities to bring a song of joy did I miss?  The whole earth is filled with awe at God's wonders, why had I been I too busy to notice them?

This was the scene that unfolded outside my back window this morning.

From dawn's first glimmer of daybreak the sky began it's metamorphosis from black to blue and pink.  Within five minutes it had absolutely come to life with color.

This is the sunrise I can experience almost every morning...if I take the time to notice.

What a difference five minutes can make. Five minutes standing in awe of a great God can change our skies from dark and bleak to bright and brilliant.  Even now as I peer out the window, dawn has shown it's light on the entire woods behind the house.  They are no longer black and dark, but are alive with autumn colors.  

You know, when our lives are in a very dark place and all things look bleak, five minutes with a great and loving God can change even the worst circumstance into living color.  The darkness doesn't seem as difficult to navigate and we can stand in awe of his wonders and call forth a song of joy.

Cancer is a dreadful disease.  But mine taught me many valuable lessons...one of which was to stand in awe of God's wonders and sing a song of joy!

Only By His Grace,

Billie