“A song to our strong God! A shout to the God of Jacob!” Psalm 81.1
First light in the Redwoods continues to be an unusual event to an ex-New Yorker. Something about waking to cool fog, virtual silence punctuated by the sound of logging trucks climbing hills for their first pick-up, and the quiet rustle of small animals searching for food doesn’t make sense. Where is the constant hum of the city? Where is the glow of city lights? Where are the garbage trucks making their early morning runs?
Letting the day take shape is always easy. Deadlines are optional in this setting and there are no visible reasons for stress. I sit back in bed each morning letting God do his work, wondering about the process. God’s eternal consistency and power comes too good and bad people alike. God’s refreshing gifts are available to everyone. I cannot earn the gift. Nothing that I do will qualify me to deserve it more than now, as I do nothing. I cannot see anyone who is doing much to improve or speed up the process. God is just being God!
Dawn is a moment when you know God’s presence is all around us. God’s obsession is to let us know how much He loves us. First light, a morning walk, and breakfast give us opportunities to tell God what he means to us. Now that I know God is here, I can see how He acts in London and New York. God is everywhere! Sometimes I am blind, but as I open eyes, ears, and senses I can hear his voice and see His hands at work. I wonder now why I was so blind.
We have so little time. Life continues to accelerate at a dizzying pace. Each time I glimpse God anew, it reminds me how precious we are to Him. He loves us! He wants us to know the peace and assurance that comes from this love. There are no conditions, God is just being God!
My response is simple; Shout! Sing! Let everyone know!
