Not a leaf stirs on the trees this morning. In some neighbor’s yard, a redbird (cardinal) says “Purty, Purty, Purty.” Farther away, another redbird agrees, “Purty, Purty, Purty.” And my prediction makes it unanimous. It’s going to be another pretty summer day. The crepe myrtles are beginning to bloom. Soon dragonflies will make their appearance. These are hints that summer is progressing. On the sign in front of my grandchildren’s school is a notice that in only a month, another term will begin. And I sit here and wonder where the summer has gone? And time–how can it fly by so quickly?
My dad was an early riser as am I. He would start the day a long time before the rooster crowed. I remember waking up and peeking into the front room to see him sitting beside the stove (this was in the wintertime), gazing at the floor. Was he planning his day? Was he praying? Now this period of quiet for Dad didn’t last long. Soon, he’d rouse the whole household with, “It’s gettin’ up time.” But he always built the fire first thing in cold months and let the house warm up before anyone else got out of bed. Dad valued this early morning time when he was the only one (except for a curious daughter) who was awake.
The cool grayness before the sun comes up is, for me, a good time to look into what God has to say. Bible reading and prayer make the day go better. Even if you don’t start the day as early as I do, it’s good to sit down somewhere at some point in the day and read messages from the One who created the times and the seasons.
Mark 1:35 records that Jesus valued early morning prayer. “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there he prayed.”
Since this was an important time for Jesus, shouldn’t it be an important time for us too? It would be nice if I could bottle this quiet time then later, uncork it and let peace permeate the air. The redbirds voiced their hope for the day and with the quietness of an early morning with God to sustain me, it’s my hope too.
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