In the past at the beach God has taught me many things like how much He loves broken shells, how consistent and dependable He is, how His love fills a deeper space than the oceans could ever fill and how He is always there; always, always, always. This year He has showed me that not only is He all this, He is also the God of second sunrises. Let me explain.
Every year, I get up early to go for a walk/run with God in the morning before the swimming/beaching/hot-tubbing day begins. It is not unusual to start running into more people on the beach as we get closer to sunrise. The beach begins to fill with bleary-eyed coffee-drinkers, children who appear to have been up for hours, romantic couples snuggling under blankets and entire families out for the perfect photo op. Sometimes the sun doesn't disappoint. In a magnificent display of splendor and newness, it breaks over the horizon, bathing everything in its beautiful light and delighting the viewers who threw off the covers to see the break of a new day.
Sometimes, actually many times, that Hollywood-scripted scene just doesn't happen. Many times there are clouds, sometimes thick and gray blocking all the sun, but most often low-lying clouds that hug the horizon and create a layer of fog and gray that obscures the rising of the sun from the waiting crowd. Instead of that bright orb of light breaking the horizon and causing everyone to snap pictures and hug a little closer, the horizon just starts to turn a lighter pink color as the sky brightens to blue. Snugglers move a little farther away from each other and children start crying, running, shouting, and jumping as sheer boredom sets in. The family perfectly lined up for their photo on the beach start milling about and walking away as grandma tries desperately to keep them together and convinced that the sun is coming and we have to get this picture of all the fun we're having!! Inevitably, some begin to walk away. The sun didn't come. That's what they were there for. That's what they gave up precious sleep for. What's the point of hanging out?
If only they knew. If only they knew in a few short moments, the hot sun would continue to creep higher and in the process, those low clouds would diminish. If only they knew, that in merely minutes, that sunrise they wanted so bad was going to happen, maybe just not the way or the time or the place they expected. But I can tell you from experience, that "second sunrise" is just as beautiful as the first, maybe even moreso because its beauty is unexpected, its timing is a surprise, and its placement allows for even more light to bathe the shore and start the day.
So by now, you've probably made the connection but in case you haven't, let me fill in the blanks. We so often go to God expecting something for our lives. We've got it all laid out; after all, He called us so surely the vision we have is one from Him, right? We sacrifice to make it happen. We wait expectantly for the dawn of His calling to fill our lives. We are waiting for that perfect moment. And we truly think we are waiting for the Son... but are we really? Yes, that is why we are there but when the Son doesn't appear as we thought He should or would, are we quick to get bored? Are we easily distracted? Do we get tired of waiting and decide it would be best if we just walked away?
Oh, the temptation to do that! Last year, I was there. I was tired of waiting. My plan hadn't worked. It wasn't perfect. It was frustrating. "Where is the sun?" I wondered. My heart wrestled with walking away and giving up on the calling I knew God had for our family and my husband. And then in March, it happened. The Son broke through. The light bathed our path. All the prayers began to be answered and the sky began to brighten. The second sunrise.
Yesterday Luke's classes started. As I talked to him last night, he kept saying, "I just can't believe I'm here. I am so blessed to be here. I feel privileged just to be with these other believers. I just can't believe it." Our God is so faithful. He said it - In this world you WILL have trouble (clouds), but I (the sun) have overcome the world." The clouds are a vapor. They do not last. They come and go. The sun is, as my brother-in-law just exclaimed, "The sun is definitely out today!" The sun is here to stay. The Son will never leave.
If you happen to be in a cloudy place, doubting the Son and wondering where that sunrise is, may I encourage you to wait a little longer? He is THERE. I promise you He is and His plan will amaze you. It may take longer than you expected. It may not happen the way you pictured. But He is not done writing your story and He is THERE.
Enjoy the sunrise.
We now return to our regularly scheduled blog. :)
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