At the south end of Beeks Road between Hollonville and Williamson on the backside of Nowhere and just a little over a quarter mile from my front door, there is a pond positioned directly in front of the stop sign at the T intersection. It puts a smile on my face and an incredible feeling of joy in my heart each morning on my way to work when I see the still undeveloped rural countryside, this little lily pad edged pond with mist rising as birds dart down to catch minnows. I know it’s a pond teeming with life, undisturbed and simply there for its sheer beauty.
I’ve always been that early bird, catching moments, seeing the world through rising sunlight and steamy mist and wondering why anyone would choose to sleep late and miss all the beauty so full and rich in these hours. To be fair, though, I miss whatever beauty happens after my 9 o’clock bedtime each night.
When we are camping and I don’t have to spend my morning hours getting ready for work and rushing out the door, these scenes of nature – God’s paintbrush at work in real time – are what inspire me to get up, get dressed, and get outdoors to hear the birds, to watch the woodpeckers kissing the trees, to see the sun and steam rising, to admire the way the strokes of sunlight bathe the morning landscapes. Some call it a curse, this internal clock of mine that rarely lets me sleep past 5 a.m.
I call it a blessing.
Psalm 113:3
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!
Common Threads 