The First Morning

In the dark of night, the rain relentlessly pounded upon my roof

threatening to break through with force and power.

Water drops fell from my ceiling in the kitchen.

But in my room all was dry and secure.

I closed my eyes and shut out the noise of the storm,

safe in my haven of blankets and warmth.

Morning broke gently with lingering drops from the trees.

I awoke 

to a new day filled with promise and sunshine.

The orange and red and green leaves glistening.

Sun sparkling from the trees and grass.

A sunrise filled with hope and goodness.

A beautiful fall day in my corner of the world.

I breath deeply of this gift and embrace all the possibilities of this

beginning.

Yet, there are many sunrises that are grey

With promises of dark and damp hours ahead.

Yes, they have beauty, a certain tranquility and comfort.

But mornings like this one, ah, they remind me of my

 first morning in heaven.

This world, though filled with it's own beauty and joy,

is but a grey taste of the effervescent morning that awaits.

A morning filled with colors and jewels and joy unlike we are able to imagine

While I'm on this side of tomorrow.

I will make the most of this gift called today.

Even on dreary days and nights.

I will live with the promise of a bright tomorrow.

We must all face this certainty:

This life on earth will end.

For sure and for certain.

I will celebrate the days here

with my eyes focused on the eternal.

The morning ahead where there will be 

no water dripping from the ceiling,

no storms threatening to destroy,

No fear or accidents or pain or death or sickness or depression.

My Facebook friend, Celesta, just made that journey

to her best tomorrow.

"I'll see you later.", I wrote to her.

"You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace.

The mountains and the hills will break forth before you

And all the trees of the fields will clap their hands." Isiah 55:12

I can only imagine her homecoming party as the trees

clapped their hands.

Her Dad and many loved ones and JESUS welcomed her to her

eternal home.

A place where she is once again completely free to run and breathe.

And celebrate.

We made plans to meet there some lovely day.

Perhaps we'll talk about this cancer journey

and the sweetness of it all,

the lessons learned that couldn't have been experienced

in the smooth life.

Father, teach us Your ways, 

Your plan

in the rainy mornings

the cold, dark nights

in the fresh sunrises

 and glorious sunsets.

So that we can know that You are

 WITH US in our todays

and leading us to our

 sparkling eternal tomorrows.