By Jim and Cheryl Atkins, 3.9.22
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Let’s first read the lyrics of one of our favorite hymns:
Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the world
Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from Heaven
Like the first dewfall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s recreation of the new day
This hymn reminds us of the everlasting presence of God. God has been present from the time of His creation of day and night; present with Adam and Eve in the garden; present as Jesus in the flesh walking on this earth among us; and present this very morning when the sun arose, the birds sang, and we opened our eyes to a new day.
There are so many gentle reminders to consider God’s gifts to us in this simple song. Do we wake up in awe that God has recreated the day for us and think of praising God with elation, or do we get swept up in the day as soon as we get out of bed? Do we praise God for sending our grasses and plants rain, or do we complain about the weather?
We can be encouraged to use this season of Lent to slow down and reground ourselves. We can observe the most simple, but awesome, gifts from God, like the sunrise and the rain. And we can praise God with joyful adoration.