Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

Lamentations 3:22-24

I love early mornings. Granted, I was up about an hour and a half earlier than I typically like to wake, but it was beautiful nonetheless. I love mornings for many reasons. I can watch the sun peak over the trees, the mists rise from the grass, the moon slowly go to sleep. Mornings are the best time to write and read. This morning I was up before the sun, so the night still held a deep blue, the crickets were asleep, and I watch Sirius twinkle and fade with the coming light.

But what I love most about mornings is the peace. Not just the quiet, though I love that too. I love being up before the rush of day, and cars start to drive off to their various places. But what I love most is the stillness, the solemnity, the peace. There is no news, no worries, no concerns yet. There is just you, the morning, and the God who created it to be enjoyed.

Mornings have been a subject often touched on in writing and in Scripture. Mornings are a time of renewal, of hope, a time to look forward to in the night. Go to the Bible and see how often praise and thanks is said in the morning. Or as in the opening verse, mercies are renewed every day, because God is faithful in His promises. We can have peace in that. Look to literature, and ancient especially. My favorite passages come from the Odyssey. Dawn is personified, and she is beautiful. Look here at this poem about dawn:

An angel, robed in spotless white,

Bent down and kissed the sleeping Night.

Night woke to blush; the sprite was gone.

Men saw the blush and called it Dawn.

Paul Laurence Dunbar

If you prefer audio with the written word, listen to their beautiful piece here.

Dawn is a wonderful thing, and so are the moments before the sun peeks up to say good morning. It is a time of reflection and appreciation. Appreciation of what? Of another day, another life, and another chance to enjoy this wonderful world we have been given. Most of all, it is a chance to remember the world is not all bad, and that God is still sovereign. Life is chaotic, but mornings renew us, bring us back to stillness, and knowing “He is God.”

I know soon I will have to “go back to reality,” as one might say. I will have to get on with my day. Perhaps you already have by the time you are reading this. But mornings are still reality, and this is the start of my day. Here, there is no chaos, no worry, no anxiety. There is just another morning to watch a new day start, another morning to be happy to be alive. There is another moment to be thankful that God is still faithful, His mercies are new every day, and He gives us His peace.

May your day be full of peace, and may you find time in the morning to be still and watch the day begin anew.

Blessings to you and yours,

~Madelyn Rose Craig