For many years, the beauty of the morning escaped me. Never really “a morning person” the years of raising babies with long nights of interrupted sleep stole my mornings from me. Beyond the strain of motherhood, seasons of suffering claimed my night hours. Yet, over time, God gently revealed the truth spoken by the sun each day: “Joy comes in the morning.”
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5
As a child, I rose early. Our backyard abutted a large woods and I loved hearing the sounds of nature waking up. Of course during the school year, focusing on getting ready and out the door claimed most of my attention.
But vivid memories of early summer mornings echo my eagerness to greet the day.
Though some of the loneliest times, my child memory clings to the smell of the woods, the dew dampness on my legs and the colors of the sun.
Since my mother never rose before 12:00 or 1:00 pm, left to my own devices, I wandered with the squirrels and rabbits and ate my dry cereal with the salamanders. Some mornings I sat by the creek with my fishing pole in the water hoping for a few sunfish to swim by.
But one thing wrapped me in the warmest feeling of joy every day: the sunrise.
My naive child heart believed God sent the colors just for me. Nothing filled my heart with more joy than when the sun peeked just above horizon between the trees.
when morning lost its joy
Though my attempts at sharing the morning magic with my friends and family generally met with eye rolls and dismissal, I treasured them in my heart. Eventually, the wonder of childhood was locked away with the discarded fishing pole and my wanderings left for the more important trappings of the grown up world.
Though glimpses of morning joy peeked out now and then, life crowded out the intention in my morning pursuits.
Even after my salvation prompted a morning quiet time, it seemed more a business transaction than an awe-filled encounter. Stuck in performance mode for many years; my focus rested on getting all the things done.
God faithfully met me each day, and my encounters filled me with content as I learned and grew spiritually, but the warmth of a new day wrapping me in joy was gone.
joy in morning faithfulness
Ever a lover of nature, creation revealed God to me in all its intricate details. To this day, spending time in nature offers the only place I feel completely peaceful and free to be myself.
Over time, mornings became a coveted time for me, but never more than about ten years ago when my work hours with hospice blessed me with watching the sunrise either on my drive or shortly after my arrival.
The beautiful gardens outside my office provided the perfect location for once again communing with God as He wrapped me in His love at the start of the day.
Watching the sun rise above the horizon speaks of God’s faithfulness; no matter what yesterday held, how restless the night, or even regardless of my failures, God sends the sunrise as a reminder His mercies are new every morning.
Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.
Psalm 110:3
from the womb of the morning
One day, God arrested my attention with a verse read many times before: Psalm 110:3. More specifically, one phrase invited me into a deeper appreciation for the morning: “from the womb of the morning”.
Meditating upon those words the next time I watched the sun crest the horizon, enlived my soul with the realization each day began as a new birth. Bursting upon my sight, the colors of the sun clothed me in the warmth of promise.
God gifts us each day, brand new, full of His Presence and faithfulness, guilded with the joy of His promises for us.
Viewing each day as a new birth full of the goodness of God, reminded me of His unfailing love. Regardless of my failings, the rejection of others, and despite my suffering in the dark, joy came in the morning with whispers of His delight in me.
Here is what is beautiful about you; after everything you have been through, you are still blooming in the way you were meant to.
Morgan Harper Nichols
joy comes in the morning
Through many years of hard nights of doubt and suffering, I lost my wonder of the birth of each day. The miracle of the sunrise faded into the hard of my reality, until the broken places of my heart let His Light in once again.
Joy comes in the morning, bringing me word of God’s faithfulness through the darkest night, whispering nothing will ever separate me from His unfailing love. Inviting me bask and bloom in His glorious love declaring the beauty revealed in His Presence.
There’s so much I love about this – as children we both found comfort in the nature around our homes. It’s where I talked to God when I couldn’t talk to anyone else – it was the safe place for my heart when life was uncomfortable beyond the front door and sometimes in home. God planted something in both our hearts when we found Him there – and it sustained us until we were adults and finally gave him our broken places to fix. You write: “The miracle of the sunrise faded into the hard of my reality, until the broken places of my heart let His Light in once again.” So thankful we can rest in assurance that His joy does come in the morning – and He stands with us while we wait! Shalom, my friend! Beautiful, encouraging post!
Thank you Maryleigh for sharing your story here. It sounds like we had similar experiences! God is so good to have met us in our childlike innocence, planting the seed of faith and nurturing it until we could make it our own. Praise God for His unfailing love and faithfulness!
So sorry to hear of your dark days,I had many too. I’m so happy he brought about joy in the morning of your seasons to come. I’ve been through Psalm 110 several times but today this>”from the womb of the morning”. Popped out at me. Okay more like jumped off the page at me.I of course had to seek out Psalm 110 and low and behold there again it jumped off the page at me. Wow, what a powerful sentence. Blessings.
Thank you for linking up with Sweet Tea & Friends this month.
Paula, thank you for your kind words! That phrase in Psalm 110 just leaped off the page to me too, and I have read that so many times over the years! God’s Word is alive and speaks to us in ways we can never really fathom.
Hi Donna, just this morning I kept interrupting my quiet time running to the window to take photos of the beautiful sunrise. It is so true that it is sad to lose this joy, but it is so wonderful too, to have that joy restored. It is an amazing beautiful reminder of God’s daily grace, and renewed mercies. Great post
God bless
Tracy
Tracy, what a gift to enjoy the sunrise during your daily quiet time! Mornings truly have become my favorite time of the day!
I love how you describe your early mornings as a child. I never was a “morning” person and loved summers, because I could sleep in. Since I’ve entered the senior citizen category, I find I’m wide awake at 6 am and I get up. Now that I have a cat, he reminds me that he wants attention if I try to lay in bed! I’ve struggled with finding joy lately but I’m learning to look for it in unexpected places. Joy doesn’t seem to be something that just hits me in the face. I have to look for it. But it’s there, sometimes in the form of a song or a scripture or even my temperamental cat head butting me for attention. Thank you for your post.
Melanie, isn’t it amazing how life turns around on us? My daughter has a cat that does the same thing-she is most affectionate in the morning when my daughter wants to sleep!! I struggle finding joy on some days too. but you are right, I find it most often in unexpected places, people and things. God is a joyful God and He wants us to encounter that joy.
I enjoy going out on the patio shortly before the sun comes up and praying or reading my Bible as it does. Being out in nature is a special blessing for me, too, Donna. And I’m so glad the joy has come back to your mornings!
Donna, it sounds so lovely to sit on the patio in the early morning! I love the smell of the morning and the sounds of nature waking up!
Donna, I am so sorry for the hard years but grateful that even before your salvation, God was meeting you for He knew you had a tender heart. “Watching the sun rise above the horizon speaks of God’s faithfulness; no matter what yesterday held, how restless the night, or even regardless of my failures, God sends the sunrise as a reminder His mercies are new every morning.” Every sun rise a precious reminder of our God’s faithfulness. And we surely need those reminders these days!
Thank you, Joanne for your kind words, we all travel in the hard places, and what a blessing to know God pursues us even there.
I’m so sad to hear of the dark years, but I’m so thankful for the restoration of joy He has brought, Donna. This is a beautiful truth, “God gifts us each day, brand new, full of His Presence and faithfulness, guided with the joy of His promises for us.”
Thank you, Lisa for your kind thoughts and words. I thank God He is always there even when we cannot necessarily see or feel Him!