Tip of My Iceberg

I’ve been an early riser since I was little. I’d get up early to spend time with my Dad. Raised on a farm, he was up with the sun and had his moments of quiet before our family imposed our noise on him.

I’d tiptoe down to the kitchen, where he sat with his newspaper, his coffee sitting beside him. Without lowering his paper, he’d shove his cup toward me, where I’d hold it for warmth and sip it for flavor.

It’s where I learned to drink coffee black. It’s also where I learned the value of listening to someone who has significant words to say.

It doesn’t matter how late I stay up, my body clock has me up no later than 6 am.

It’s given me a great appreciation for sunrises. For the slow beauty of the sun making its appearance, one hue at a time, lighting the horizon as it peeps over to begin its morning rounds. Like a faithful friend you expect to accompany you each day.

Like much of the country, weather and environmental circumstances have made sunrises a little less available for viewing. We’ve had so much rain here in Florida. California has its fill of wildfires, which is affecting the air quality of Colorado.

Sunrise doesn’t look the same through a haze of smoke or through thick thunder clouds.

But the sun is still there each day, faithfully following a path because of the rotation of the earth whether we see it or not. We can complain about heat or cold or global warming or air quality all we want.

The sun still rises.

A fact we all need to be grateful for. It warms our earth, grows our plants, provides health benefits we often overlook. Sunlight enhances our moods and helps relieve stress It’s an energy source we can’t deny.

The presence of the sun can also be a cause of complaint.

Too much sun creates sunburn if we’re not careful. The lack of sun can cause depression; I lived in the Midwest for years and experienced this phenomenon every winter. Sun without water can dry the land and make it challenging to grow food. Too much heat can cause illness.

The sun exists whether we see it or not, whether we enjoy its benefits or decry its presence.

We treat God in much the same way.

He’s the Creator of all things, making man in His image. His divine spark resides in each of us, giving us the possibility of knowing Him personally through the gift of His Son.

He provides strength to the weak, hope to the weary, perspective to the lost, forgiveness to those plagued by guilt and shame.

God is also the One we blame for anything we don’t like or agree with. The One we ridicule when life is hard; the One we plead with when death seems near.

He is always there. Ready to respond to hearts that need Him.

Just because someone can’t see Him doesn’t mean He isn’t there. Just because life is tough doesn’t mean He’s to blame.

We create the mess. He offers hope to get us through it.

Like the sunrise, He is always present.

We need to look past our clouds of frustration and confusion to see the Son rise.