Birds begin singing their greeting to the day long before daylight appears. Stars still shine. The human eye does not perceive the subtle change. But the birds notice. By 4:00am their choir bursts forth from tiny throats. The whole world can know morning is arriving soon. Some say their dawn alarm is their way of declaring their territory. I believe they pronounce gratitude for a beautiful new day. It could be a day of wind and rain. Their song, however, proclaims a great day to live joyfully.
I like starting my day prayerfully thanking my Heavenly Father for each new day of opportunities. I recently read that instead of telling God all our problems, we should remind Him of all His promises. When we search His word for the promises, and remind Him daily, those promises show up as grand blessings. He honors His word, but He waits for us to ask. He waits, expecting us to express our belief. The dawn of blessing may not shimmer on the horizon. Like the birds, we know it is coming. And no matter if rain, wind or snow bluster, our day of blessing will shine gloriously. It is coming. Let us rejoice and sing like robins and sparrows in anticipation of a day blessed with honored promises.
While we wait in excitement, what can our mind, heart and hands do to show commitment to receiving those promises? Have we prepared to welcome that promised day? When it shines through our window do we bask in its light, and thank Heavenly Father for the gift? Perhaps we left the curtains drawn closed and totally missed the rising sun, waiting instead for the noon brightness to manifest the fullest possibilities before moving into action.
Faith is joyfully anticipating a promised blessing, long before its dawn. When my husband graduated from college, he applied for various jobs. Some, he received opportunities to interview, but no job. We continued praying, sometimes desperately. We expressed faith more than desperation, however. We held tightly to inspired promises. A year later, Tom attended a job fair. An HR person who had assisted him with other applications, handed him a job requisition saying, ” I hoped you would come. This just came across my desk today. I thought it fit you perfectly.” We prayed and received confirmation that yes this job was prepared for us. We acted by signing a contract on an apartment in the new town and began packing. When days of doubt clouded our vision, we prayed fervently. We sought reminders that the promised job was still ours. Each time, hope replaced doubt. Another interview or a phone call saying he was the top candidate, reminded us to continue our belief. We grasped little bits of information, given at exactly the right moment. Each piece brightened our hope. Official confirmation arrived the day we loaded the moving truck. The salary exactly doubled that of his previous full-time job. The job provided more than twenty years of employment opportunities, comfortable living, and many new skills.
Again, our lives encounter the 4:00am predawn anticipation. Opportunities await on the horizon. We can’t see the noon brightness, or even the 5:30am glimmer. In this moment, doubt could easily overwhelm us. Too many unknowns. Too many chances to fail. Instead, we rejoice and watch, believing that the glorious day will arrive soon. It is going to be a fabulous time.