While I must confess to enjoying more sunsets than sunrises, I also acknowledge that there is something very special about the morning. The spiritual giants from the past always made such good use of it as they allowed themselves to be energized by the newness of a new day with the God they loved. I have two favorite morning songs. One causes me to sing with great enthusiasm, "O what a beautiful morning, O what a beautiful day..." The second favorite morning song brings forth a spirit of joy and awe as I sing, "When morning guilds the sky, my heart awakening cries, May Jesus Christ be praised..." I have often gone out on the front porch here at the farm and offered my voice to the praise unfolding to the Creator.
Morning surely speak to each of us in different ways. For some it is a sign of God's grace as He rouses us from our sleep for another day of living For another it might speak of a clean slate and the way God is always ready to offer forgiveness to us. Some speak of the morning as a symbol of a new opportunity which God is always eager to provide to us. For the mystics of the past and present it points to a moment for stepping into the stream of what God is about in the world. Regardless of how it is viewed and described, each morning is a gift regardless of whether it is one of sunshine or rain.
What a commentary it is on our society to realize that this gift of morning is so wasted and taken for granted. For so many it is just a platform for launching a busy and activity filled day. It is not a moment to be experienced, but one which enables us to get started on our journey toward the evening when we feel like we can catch our breath once again for an hour or two. There is nothing which better prepares us for our daily journey like some quiet time in the morning with the One who gives us the day. For those who declare they would like to have such a time, but the morning is too filled with preparation for the rest of the day, the solution is simple. Get up earlier.