a sunrise

i hope to never think about 6 am the same again. since Ilona is often up in the wee hours of the morning to feed, God put it on my heart to want to watch a sunrise with her while staying at Maya Vista hotel in Tela this past weekend. the plan was simple, if she was up anytime between 5-6 am, i would walk the several flights of stairs up from our room to the "mirador" viewing rooftop deck of the hotel. like clockwork, she was up at 5:45, so i tiredly shuffled up the stairs just in time for one of the most beautiful sunrises i have seen, and what turned out to be a very intimate moment with my daughter, of which the memory i'll treasure the rest of my life.

we quietly sat, she eating and i taking in the sights and sounds of a typical sunday morning in honduras. imagine stray dogs skipping down the otherwise quiet streets. roosters beginning to wake up their masters (and everyone else for that matter). a cool breeze off the bay. waves crashing on the shores. a light mist settling on the peaks of the tropical mountains lining the southern wall of the region. and the soft glow of the sun beginning it's trek above the eastern peaks in the distance. the sky turned warm shades of reds, pinks, and purples as i anticipated the arrival of the day. i fixed my gaze on the mountain peak where the brightest of lights was beginning to crown, when i heard (far away, don't worry!) another familiar sound in honduras. a few short and fast gun shots. my attention was immediately torn from the miracle God made in the daily sun rise about to reveal itself as i turned away in search for the source of the disturbance. i knew i wasn't in danger 10+ stories about street level, yet i still wanted to find out where the shots came from. fortunately my curiosity wasn't so strong that i missed what Ilona and i had woken up for and climbed those stairs to find, our first sunrise together. i turned just in time to see the beauty of the light that took over the sky. a brightness that invited all of tela to awaken for the day. an ever-constant reminder that God's mercies are new every morning. a sunrise.

isn't that just like life? as christians we are commanded to fix our eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith. the beginning and the end. the prince of peace. the light of the world. jesus, the son of God. a simple sounding command, but one so quickly forgotten. i am distracted. that morning by a gun shot, but most days by things even less demanding. unread emails, a sink overflowing with dishes, facebook, my own worries. and even the "good things" i know God would find pleasing to Him, if only i would fix my eyes and my heart on Him alone. all i need to do is keep looking at the Son. keep my eyes fixed on the light of this world and all else will fall into its rightful place. the Son is where i'll find peace in times of trouble, wisdom in times of uncertainty and the grace i need for each passing day.

today's devotional from Jesus Calling expresses what i felt in my heart sunday morning as i was overwhelmed by the truth of God's promises and love for me and Ilona.

"My Peace is like a shaft of golden Light shining on you continuously. During days of bright sunshine, it may blend in with your surroundings. On darker days, My Peace stands out in sharp contrast to your circumstances. See times of darkness as opportunities for My Light to shine in transcendent splendor. I am training you to practice Peace that overpowers darkness. Collaborate with Me in this training. Do not grow weary and lose heart."

"In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." -John 1:4-5

"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." -Hebrews 12:3

just keeping looking at the sun...