Sunrise

It’s my favorite. I love waking up early. Like 4th watch of the night early.

My first memory of waking up that early was at Christmas time when I was a little child. Mom decorated the windows with Christmas candles. The soft light from those candles was so comforting. She would leave those candles up for ages. And on nights when it would snow? Those wee hours before sunrise were pure magic to me.

Then life happened. I lost a parent. Teenage angst turned into adult angst. My world flipped upside down. The wee hours of the morning became darkness and gloom. The dark lost its magic and just became darkness. The soft glow of candles became scary and foreboding. Instead of waking early, I slept away those hours, the only thing to wake me early was the kids. My world remained dark for 26 years.

Then I met Jesus. And suddenly, the world revolved from night to day!

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Isaiah 9:2

The 4th watch of the night became mine again. I wake up in the wee hours of the morning to abide with the Lord. I walk in the wee hours of the morning, listening for the voices of owls and coyotes, breathing crisp morning air, watching for the first hint of sunrise. The soft light from the streets is comforting. The magic is back. I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for me!

Happy FiveMinuteFriday!