Robbie and I spent the past week at a lake in Canada. I’ll tell you more next week (including why our northern escape from the mid-summer heat was not, actually, pure joy), but for now I will just share this one pic:
(That, in case you can’t tell, is a Canadian sunrise.)
I had to share the photo with our children. First, though, I did some editing:
I thought I was so clever! And that my kids would wake up and be so encouraged and happy!
Two hours later, I got this reply:
Okay. So am I the only one who thought the sunrise looked like an upside down exclamation mark? I mean, did you not notice that?
Sigh. All my best stuff is wasted on my kids. Maybe I should have just texted them a Bible verse. There are plenty of good ones that have to do with the morning. Consider, for instance, Proverbs 27:14: If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.
(As in, say hello if you must…but not before coffee. And not, if you please, with too much enthusiasm.)
Or Genesis 29:25, which details Jacob’s surprise after being tricked into sleeping with the wrong sister: When morning came, there was Leah!
(As in…oops.)
Honestly, though, if I were to pick just one Bible verse to wake up to, I think it would have to be Lamentations 3:22-23:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Is that not just the best? What these words mean is that yesterday’s mistakes are over. God’s love has them covered. And he’s got a fresh helping of grace for today.
I love that. And I think it’s got the makings of a great Friday prayer, either for yourself or for someone else who needs to know this good news:
Heavenly Father,
Your love never ends.
Your mercies never cease.
Your faithfulness is great.
Help _____ remember these powerful truths. May _____ know that your mercies are new every morning. Thank you for giving us a brand new start in your love, every day.
Amen.
