Thank you Jesus for warm weather!!!! As the outside girl that I am, I am a happy happy gal!!
There is something so sweet about early mornings during this time of year - waking up to the sound of the birds chirping and the crisp warm air. I have had a lot of early mornings the last few weeks (triathlon training yeehawww!!) and have had the pleasure of seeing some beautiful sunrises. I know I gas up sunsets most of the time, but sunrises deserve more credit! They represent a quietness and a newness to the day that makes them feel more intimate and personal. The other morning the sunrise was so poignant it felt like it was God’s greeting to me that day. Like a sweet embrace, I couldn’t help but smile. It was a clear reminder to me that He knows how to reach us in the most personal and unique ways.
I say all this to remind you and myself that He speaks to us in so many nonverbal ways throughout our day, we just have to slow down to notice Him. Recently I have been wrestling with how little I seek Him in my day-to-day life. How long can I go and not even think of Him? This was a question I asked myself during our silent retreat back in March and it honestly brought me to tears. I think the emotion came from realizing how insignificant Christ’s death on the cross is to my everyday life. He thought of me when He gave His life for mine and I barely think of him when I am doing some of the simplest and most mundane tasks. He is thinking of me when I go for a run, in the moments of silence and loneliness, at the Crutchfield home on Thursday nights, and in the early morning sunrises. He is always thinking of me, longing for me, and loving me.
Lord thank you for spring and for new life - that you allow us to so clearly see your handiwork in the new growth on trees, in the sweet sound of birds chirping, and yes even in the pollen.
Here are some lyrics from a song we sang at roundtable this past week that I think sums it all up pretty well:
How can I respond
To the love that You have lavished on me?
I don't have much, I don't have much
But I have a heart that beats for You
I have a heart that beats for You
Every part of me
Wants to love You like You've loved me
-Mission House
— Sara