Did you know that today, March 20th, is the first day of Spring? Joan and I greeted the sunrise from a lush green hill as we looked toward the distant rolling hills in the east. The sun took almost as long to peek over those hills as it did for us to climb to our view point. We did get there before it came up, and we waited until it was clearly above the hill line.
When we lived in San Jose, twenty years ago, we used to pack up the kids, two at that time, and hike into the hills in Los Altos to celebrate the sunrise on the first day of Spring. In those days we had to get up between 5:00 and 5:30 to drive to the beginning of our trail. I usually had one child in a backpack and one in my arms. We would follow the same path, as about fifteen others, and greet the sunrise with a poem and prayer. Sometimes we would have a bite to eat in that celebration and we would usually take a camera to capture the moment. We would also use that time to marvel at the rest of God's creation, sometimes catching a glimpse of deer romping through the forest, of which we saw a couple today as well.
It cuts into our time to sleep, but it is usually quiet and peaceful along the trail, as well as when you are waiting for the rising of the sun – more so now than when we had the two kids. In reality, with the two kids there was a bit of whining and maybe some provocative questions, but I remember it being a good time.
When was the last time you greeted the sunrise? If that is too early, though at this time of year it is around 7:15, perhaps just a moment in the morning before you jump into your daily schedule would be good time to greet the day, in the name of our Lord.
I certainly find it easier to attend to the creation around me when it is displayed in such a magnificient fashion.
I hope some day this week you can take time to thank God for the world in which we live and you can celebrate another day to be alive.
Peace to you and yours,
Pastor Randy
