I dug this one up from the archives today. This time last year life....sucked. Occasionally, I think it's good to look back at those hard times, look at where we are now and just say, "Huh, I ain't dead! And that's something!"
For something it is! And a gift, perhaps, that should not be taken lightly.
Anyway, this time last year, I found a lot of solace in sitting in the dark stillness of the morning. Before the sun came up and before the kids got up, I'd sit on my back deck for a few minutes and just listen. And, from that time, I wrote this. The secret here is that I was writing to myself perhaps as much as anyone else.** But, here it is, from March 24, 2020:
At around 6:45, it's still dark outside. Sunrise is about 45 minutes to an hour away (or so) and there isn't much light breaking through yet. As of 6:45 there is no light. It is dark. It is literally the coldest time of the day. But the birds are singing. And man, they're not just singing, they are in a full and varied cacophony of birdsong! It is the strangest thing to me that our world can be so quiet and yet the song of dozens of birds in my backyard can be so loud.
Morning by morning, God's mercies are new. Every single day, the sun does come up. The Light has come into the world and the darkness cannot overcome it. All this we know (at one level) to be true.
But when life is like my back deck at 6:45...when life is dark...when life is cold...when in fact life is colder than it's ever been for you and you see no hint or glimmer of sunrise...when life feels a whole lot like it does right now actually...what do you do?
Here's the invaluable lesson - birds teach us the secret of hope. The birds don't wait for the sun to come up and the temperature to rise before they sing. The birds sing their song of praise when the world is cold and dark and scary. When life feels unmanageable, the storm is raging, you don't know when this darkness will break...that's the time to sing.
And that my friends, is the secret of hope. Hope says that no matter my lot in life, I will trust in my God who has delivered me before and who I am confident will deliver me again. Hope says that when the world is dark and desolate, I can sing because my God is seated on his throne. Hope says that the Light of the World cannot be overcome by any amount of darkness.
Hope sings when it's still dark.
Wherever you find yourself today, don't give in to despair. Don't give in to fear. Don't give into worry. Choose Faith. Choose Hope. Choose Love.
So, please hear these kind words from Jesus, our friend and King: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6–7, NIV)
God is with you. And he is for you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will walk with you through the darkest of valleys and climb with you to the mountain heights. He is your Rock and Redeemer, a shelter from the storm and a stronghold in times of trouble; he is your Lord and Friend. The King of Heaven's Armies numbers the hairs on your head. The God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob knows your name too.
Friends, don't forget today, Hope sings when it's still dark. Because the Light is coming soon.
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**I did get into bird watching a bit, for about a month or so. My buddy Alex said that was alright, given the circumstances, but if I was still there in a year, we had problems. Fortunately, I am not still bird watching. I'll save that for retirement.
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