I can’t remember a time when I so longed for spring to arrive. Perhaps, it is because of the state of the world at the moment. Perhaps, it is because we grow winter-weary at times, and the thought of spring is such a happy thing to think about.
Yesterday morning, I watched the sunrise… No matter how many times you watch the sun rise or set, it is always a moving experience. I like to think of it as God’s way of saying, “Good morning!”. God is good, and His creation is good. The more time we spend in nature, the more awesome the world itself becomes. We come to see that the moth that flutters by our porch light, or the full moon that lights up the night, are both spectacular manifestations of God’s creativity and designs.
It is easy to get side-tracked in life, to let the weight of the world hold you captive. We are only human, after all. God brings light to our mornings, to our beings, in a most incredulous way. God has captured the light of Christ and planted it deep within our very souls. As we ponder the mystery of this, we discover that God’s love for us is so beyond anything we could ever comprehend. We are illuminated from within. So, even if we were to look out to a vast sea of darkness, were we to be shut off from the sun or the moon, even yet the light of Christ would shine within our innermost beings.
Light is captivating. A sun-lit sea is almost enough to take your breath away. It sparkles. It dazzles. It is incredulous. You might believe there is no creation on earth quite so lovely…
And yet, God, our power-source of all things that have ever been, and will ever be, chose to bring the light of life to His children. This light of life would carry His children to heaven, into the vast eternity that lies before us. It is a wondrous thing to think about…like an eternal spring.
Yes, the weight of the world can seem heavy at times, as if the weight of winter was insurmountable. Then, we remember God’s exquisite and marvelous plans. We remember the light within us that never fails, never is extinguished. The light prevails through all things, through all time, a beacon of unending hope.
It is this light we bring to others each and every day. Like those sparkles upon the sea, it is dazzling and captivating. Unlike diamonds or crystals, it is a light for all time.
God’s designs are perfect. We can trust His grand creative expression for our lives. We may flutter at times like those beautiful moths that seek my porch light; however, we need not fear the darkness. We are set free… souls more radiant than that sparkling sea.
As we watch the sun rise, and we watch the sun set, may we know our Heavenly Father sees all things and knows all things. He gives us light and life as we go forward each day, renewed and cherished, by the One who truly understands us.
Each sunrise is a gift; there will only be so many in the course of our lives. May we celebrate the dawn of each and every day, with a prayer of gratitude. With each and every prayer, the light ignites within us, expanding our souls, bringing us peace.
I can’t remember a time when I so longed for spring to arrive…And then, I remembered it was not about the seasons or a day on the calendar. It was about me having a springtime attitude. It was about me carrying my ‘little light’ into the world. Sunrise is beautiful, but nothing compares to the light of Christ. This is the light we seek on the darkest of days. This is the light that brings us comfort. This is the light which will bring us home when our earthly days are over. As scripture has promised, this is indeed the light that has overcome the world! (John 16:33)
John 16:33: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world, ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Amen. I just sent that verse to a “new online friend” this morning. I was afraid he was a lurker (you know: military uniform or scrubs with a stethoscope), but this felt different. His story is similar to my Grandma Leora’s–she lost three sons during WWII and was widowed within a three-year period. So just asking the Lord what my role is here! Amazed and humbled.
Sharing the stories of your grandmother is beyond amazing. Although we have never met her, we can see the bright flame of love and faith that guided her life. The same is true for her sons…It is a great witness to share these faith stories.
Hi Linda,
Oh, yes! I too am awaiting spring.
Just a thought here . . . I love the hello’s of God in the morning, and at night I say, “Goodnight LORD, and thank You for today.”
We are living in evil and dangerous times, as we Christians endure and wait for our transition to Heaven with the call of Jesus Christ. It is peaceful and assuring to have this fellowship of Christian bloggers who are of like mind and spirit. Thank you Linda. Your writings are inspiring.
God is with us day in and day out, as He has been through all time. I think of the verse, “I am the Lord; I change not.” (Mal. 3:6) Things in the world change, but God remains steadfast in His love and keeps all of His promises. He promises to be with us always, now and forevermore.
Yes. Yes. Like a musical score designed to hold us until there is a resolve. Longing for spring to an attitude of spring to knowing the source of spring within us. Some day we will have full resolve. Great post Linda. The emotion of spring came through.
I feel that longing for spring on mornings like this. It’s a beautiful morning at -15 here in sunny northern Minnesota with 30 inches of snow to melt…someday
I have never been to Minnesota…thirty inches of snow is a lot of snow!!! I have enjoyed seeing all your photographs…so beautiful, those Minnesota winters in pictures. Spring will come much later there than here in Virginia…our winters are quite mild by comparison! Still, it will come, little by little, and I hope you capture it all with your camera. I look forward to seeing your Minnesota spring! 🙂
I’m excited today Linda. The snow is settling at 29 degrees…pangs of spring even though it’s not supposed to get this warm again in the 10 day forecast.
A wonderful reflection to begin my day!! Sending hugs!
Sending hugs back to you!
Sunshine is good for the soul and a healthy state of mind.
There is nothing like fresh air and sunshine! 🙂
I couldn’t agree more that each sunrise is a gift. I am grateful for each and every one of them!
Each sunrise reminds us that we get a chance to start again. Every morning brings us God’s grace anew, and a day full of possibilities.
Absolutely!
Simply beautiful!
Thank you! 🙂
Sunrises are glimpses of hope, as well as light. I adore them, and this post.
I love the way you phrased that, “Sunrises are glimpses of hope, as well as light.” 🙂 I think of Emily Dickinson’s poem, ‘Hope is a thing with Feathers”. When hope is ‘perched within our souls’, anything is possible. As her poem so clearly reminds us, we don’t need to know all the words in order to sing. We just need to sing!
Thanks and amen.
Amen! Psalm 118:24: “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
a reassuring comforting post that will resonate with most … we look forward to seeing another sunrise or sunset!
I can honestly say I’ve only seen one in months due to our heavy cloud cover and crazy weather … still we are not in a war zone 🙂
We pray for those in the war zone! Our prayers rise up to heaven and that is a beautiful thing. I pray your heavy cloud cover will recede some in the coming days!
lol been six months now and bigger storms predicted, so cleanup and recovery will take it’s toll … rejoice you are safe and comfortable!
I am so sorry Kate that worse storms are predicted. Here, we have our hurricane season, and there have been some brutal storms. I hope that you stay safe where you are.
I am very safe and dry, but many friends have lost it all …
I am glad that you are safe, and I am praying for all of your people. 🙂
truly appreciated Linda .. prayers always help!
🙂 🙂 🙂
Hundreds of biblical promises, some of which you beautifully highlighted here, Linda, can put sunshine-hope into our hearts. Above all is the promise of eternal life with our God and Savior. (You’ve got me wondering, perhaps the weather in heaven IS an eternal spring!)
An eternal spring is a beautiful thought! You are so right…the promise of eternal life with our God and Savior is the most important promise of all.
Lovely thoughts & sunrise photo, Linda. I’m actually not in a hurry for Spring this year because our area needs much more snow before our very windy, dry Springtime begins. Your post made me thing of the song This Little Light of Mine! 🌞
That is such a wonderful song! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Amen, Linda. This is a beautiful post. I feel the same way. I’m so thankful to Christ for every sunrise and sunset. My winter attitude was not good. I did lean on faith, but my attitude, at times, should have been much warmer! Where would we be without the hope of Christ?
The times have not been easy… You are so right. All we can do is rise each morning and do our best. We know that God is ultimately in control of everything, and we trust as scripture has taught us. ‘His ways are above our ways.’ Isaiah 55: 8-9
❤️
With each sunrise comes the hope of a new beginning. Our winters are quite dreary and overcast here but Christ’s light is ever present even on the darkest of days. I’m thankful for that. Beautiful reflection, Linda.
We have had our share of winter-weary days. God’s light does shine through all darkness. All we can do, is focus on the light that Christ brings to us…
Today, I tucked your words into my heart and went outside to immerse myself in the sunrise. Not just greet it from my window but to really still myself in its centre.
And sitting outside, something came to me: sunrise has been like a little bell, chiming from the beginning of this Lent. Years ago, I was told that dawn is about to break.
I think that time has come.
That is a beautiful thought…sunrise chiming like a little bell. I do love to hear church bells ring. The church, the holy family of believers, is the bride of Christ. We are the church, wherever we go, and whatever we do. As dawn breaks, we are reminded to whom we belong…God Himself. Dawn has broken free within our very souls…we share this light with others. Deep within us in the cathedral of the soul, the chimes of God’s love resound, and we begin each day anew with hope and promise.
What a lovely post, Linda. It’s so good to focus on God’s beautiful world instead of man’s atrocities. You’ve inspired me to look for the sunrise.
Oh Luanne, you are so right…what is going on right now is heartbreaking. We can only pray that the atrocities will end. I think to myself, not again, not this. Why is it that history must repeat itself in such cruel ways? God created such a beautiful universe. But then, I remember that love is the most powerful force on earth, and ultimately love always wins. The sun rises, and we must rise too; we must be our very best selves and change the world one person at a time. We are here in this time and place in history, and each of us can make a profound difference. Love is like that…it shines a light in the darkness. John 1:5: ” The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” Therefore, we always have hope.
A beautiful post, Linda. As I’ve gotten older, I find myself up early enough to see the sunrise. What a wonderful way to start each day. And I’m also eager for spring this year. A little longer and I’ll be greeting the sun outside. 🙂
I have always been an early riser. I am a morning person, and I seem to get the most done at that time of the day. (Coffee also helps, and I drink a lot of that!) 🙂 Things in the garden are just getting started here in Virginia. There really is nothing quite like spring…everything feels brand new!
I’m a morning person too. 🙂 It makes the day seem longer when I rise with the dawn.
Yes! You do feel like you get more hours out of your day! 🙂
I’m inclined to agree, Linda. I don’t think there’s ever been a year where I’ve so longed for Spring. I don’t like to wish time away but this Winter seems to have gone on forever. Beautiful sunrise – I can’t remember the last time I saw one.
I don’t like to wish time away either, but each sign of spring is such a happy thing. Perhaps, it is simply a longing for change, for renewal, a time to begin again. We have all been through some rough seasons, and it seems to be unending! I believe that is why all of us are eager for springtime…