Showing Up for the Sunrise

I love sunrises.

I am willing to get up at crazy early hours for the chance to catch a glimpse of a gorgeous sunrise. Sometimes I rise early only to encounter a cloudy sky that slowly transitions to an unspectacular grey. Sometimes I rise early and am blessed to encounter a spectacular display of oranges, pinks, yellows and radiant light.

Every day the sun rises. Every. Single. Day. Yet, on any given morning, I can't know whether the sunrise will be a dull grey or brilliant orange unless I open my eyes to see. I can only experience the extraordinary moments if I wake up and show up for the ordinary ones.

Prayer sometimes feels that way to me. Even though I know that God is with me every single day, sometimes my prayers feel dull, lackluster and grey. Yet sometimes my prayers feel bright, alive and full of light. The only way to experience the extraordinary prayer moments is to wake up and show up for the ordinary ones. So as best as I am able I continue to show up. In so doing, I am awake to soak in the extraordinary, glorious, spiritual sunrises whenever they do occur.

I find that I need to be regularly reminded of this reality - the importance of simply showing up. As an introvert, it requires enormous amounts of energy for me to show up and wake up to God's presence in gatherings of people. For extroverts, it may require extra energy to show up and wake up to God's presence in quiet, solitary spaces.

So I offer these words to myself and to any others who may need a word of encouragement every now and then... The extraordinary is hidden amidst the ordinary. Wake up. Show up. God's light shines always and everywhere - Every. Single. Day. Thanks be to God!