Sunrise at the Outer Banks

Recently, our family went to the Outer Banks for a week’s vacation. Every time we go to the beach, I say that I’m going to get up and watch the sun rise over the ocean, but then, when the alarm actually goes off, it's way too early so I roll over to get a few more hours of sleep. This time, however, Mike and I actually got up at 5:30 and went down to the beach. We got there, found a comfy spot in the cool, damp sand and settled in to watch. As the darkness slowly began to fade, I could feel the anticipation building. I was excited. I’d never experienced a sunrise over the ocean firsthand, but I had come with an expectation that it was going to be incredible.

Pretty soon, the sky began to turn pink, and then orange, and then red and it seemed almost like the sky was so full it would burst open when finally, the sun broke the horizon and emerged over the ocean. We sat there without speaking a word … as I watched more of the sun crawl out of its sleeping place, I could imagine God in heaven sweeping his brush across the canvas of our sky to create the shades of color that were continuing to deepen. I was in awe of what a magnificent work of art it was. As the sun continued to move higher in the sky, it was as if the waves hitting the shore were rolling percussion and the seagulls and pelicans soaring above, calling out for their breakfast, were the chorus. It was like Creation itself gets to participate in this awesome celebration of God’s glory every morning while we’re all still asleep, oblivious to it all.

What hit me later was that this incredible event -- this symphony of praise – does indeed happen every single morning, but yet there is nothing routine about it. Each one is a unique expression of God’s love for us and an opportunity for Creation itself to sing its praises back to him and there are no two ever alike.

That’s what I'm striving for in my own relationship with God: where each time I open my Bible or pray or go to church or simply sit and be still, though I may have done it a thousand times before, my prayer is that no two encounters with God are the same. My prayer is that whether I am more like one in awed silence on the beach or more like the pounding waves hitting the shore, each encounter with God is full of expectation and is a new and glorious expression of His majesty, goodness, love and grace.