I wish I was a morning person. In hundreds of little ways, it would make life easier. But until I’ve had my first or sometimes third cup of coffee, my words during those early hours are few. It’s as if I’m losing hope even before I get started.
There is one thing other than school schedules and kids’ activities that will get me out of bed before the sun, though. Even on a vacation when my boys are still sleeping, I will roll out of the covers, tip toe across the floor and slip on my flip-flops. It’s a sunrise. More specifically, a sunrise over the ocean. My love for photography and nature makes me ignore the tug of the warm mattress, yawning all the way to the boardwalk.
What do you hold onto when you’re losing hope?
Last year in early summer, I knew we only had a couple of days left on our beach trip. I snuck outside in the wee hours, toting my Nikon and wide-angle lens with me. As soon as my feet hit the sand, the humid air hit me like a wet cloak and gnats greeted my face. The comfy bed beckoned me back.
I walked down the shoreline and realized it was already noticeably bright out. Had I missed the sun? I nodded at other vacationers walking along the water, not wanting to get into a conversation. Pausing by the waterfront, I knelt down and snapped a few pictures of seagulls looking for their breakfast. My stomach rumbled and I wondered if the kids were stirring yet.
My sigh was audible as I turned on my heels to head back up toward the boardwalk. Then, I noticed it. Peeking over the horizon like an iris, it was there. It dared me to turn away from its amber splendor. I grabbed my camera and rapidly began taking pictures as it rose above the waves, getting grander by the moment.
In all my impatience and restlessness, I had almost missed the sun. And the message its Creator spoke to my heart was remarkably clear.
Time spent waiting on God is never wasted.
When he asks us to wait, there is always a reason. And while we may not understand it at the time, those seasons where it feels like God is silent or not answering are often the ones he uses to build our character the most.