“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”
Psalm 113:3
I don’t witness too many sunrises. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like to see the sun rise. It’s an incredible way to start the day. The truth is – I’m not a morning person. I don’t sleep well at night. It’s common for me to see the digits on the nightstand clock change to 2 and sometimes even 3 am. If I do happen to drift off at a reasonable hour, I will unfailing awaken around midnight and lay in bed, staring at the ceiling until 3 or 4 then drift back into sleep. So, my days usually start around 8:30 or 9 am (or 9:30 or 10 or…you get the picture). By then, the sun has already dawned, awakened nature and a new day.
I recently had the rare privilege of witnessing the sun rise. I didn’t sleep at all that night. I tossed and turned restlessly. At 3 am, I got up, went outside and lounged on the deck for a while. The stars twinkled overhead. Crickets chirped. From the woods behind our house, I heard a barred owl ask “Who-cooks-for-you?” over and over. It was peaceful, relaxing. After half of an hour or so, I decided it was safe to return to bed. “Surely I could sleep now,” I thought. I was wrong. At 5:30, I gave up and pulled on my robe. “Might as well get up,” I sighed and went downstairs.
Not wanting to wake Eric, I waited to brew coffee. I was curled up on the couch, staring out the French doors leading to the deck, waiting to hear his movements. (I really wanted coffee.) At 6 am, the first rays of light beamed over the tree line in the distance. The light shot forth, piercing the sky with oranges and yellows. Within minutes, the sun itself was pushing its way over the horizon. The birds quickly shouted “Good morning” tweets from the trees in our yard. The dew on the grass sparkled in the morning light. What a beautiful morning!
“Thank you, Lord,” I whispered, watching the morning come to life. I had to rejoice in God’s new beginning – the start of a new day.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Aside from intense exhaustion, the day moved from hour to hour as any other day. It was a peaceful day. By 7:30 pm, however, I was beyond exhausted. A deep weariness took over. “Early bedtime,” I thought, closing the windows and straightening up the kitchen.
From the kitchen window, I could see the rays of the late day sun streaming through the tree limbs. I went out to the porch and watched the light sink lower and lower. Deep purples, blues and pinks painted the sky. The night peepers’ chorus started in the distance. The toad in the neighbor’s pond added his deep bass. It didn’t take long for the sun to disappear and the darkness to take over.
“Thank you, Lord,” I whispered, watching the day to come to rest. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d witnessed the beauty of both the rising of the sun and the setting of the same in one day. What a blessing to be reminded that God has set it all in motion, and according to His plan, each day dawns and ends in His perfection.
From sunrise to sunset, we can know that God has it all in His hands. From the beginning to the end, His ways are perfect and He is worthy of our praise.
