In the place I call home, the living room and study have windows facing east. As I walk out of a dark bedroom each morning, I discover a dawn that is, in its own way, unique. There is a range of colors – from pale yellow white to a deep orange laced with the reds of a ripe Italian blood orange. The intensity varies as it is touched by a mix of gulf marine mist and the humid desert sands hanging in the sky.
The not knowing what the dawn leads to an expectation for the unexpected. I wake wondering what the morning sun will feel and look like. In letting go to experience whatever it is, I have discovered stunning scenes of beauty are etching themselves into my memory.
When I first moved to the Emirates, I presumed every morning would be like the one before, with seasons of hot and hotter. As I opened myself up to the offer of experiencing what is, I found myself discovering more and more nuances to what has always been there.
With the variations, I find myself coming to each morning anticipating discovery and renewal. As I read the records of those discovering this area before me, it seems I am following a familiar path, but to me it is always new. Even when a season seems to repeat, I remind myself that I hold an opportunity to experience it with fresh eyes and a restored heart.
Starting fresh each morning does not mean I forget yesterday or the days before. The invitation is to build on and enhance ones understanding. Each variation takes me to a place of learning and awareness. It feels as if I am living the psalm, rediscovering the place within Divinity’s heart reserved just for me.
In the discovery of endless threads of beauty and wonder, I repeat the old words; “I couldn’t even begin to count them – any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!” (Psalm 139.18)
