Waiting for a Sunrise

Have you ever gotten up to wait for the sunrise?  Not just happened upon it, but actually gotten up extra early with the intention of seeing the first glimpse of the sun peak up from the horizon?

At our final camp this summer, on the last morning, we decided it would be “fun” to get everyone up at the crack of dawn (literally) and experience the beauty of the first sun break.  Well, none of us knew exactly when the sun would rise so we decided we better get up earlier than we thought- just to be sure not to miss it.

When my alarm went off at 4:45am I jolted out of my bed—and feeling the effects of having gone to bed after midnight, I questioned how badly I really wanted to witness this crack of dawn experience.  But I said I’d go- so I dressed warmly and joined the group outside.  And waited. And waited….and waited.

So apparently by the end of August the sun is not really rising at 4:45 am…and by 5:45 we were all still waiting…cold…and really ready to see the stupid sun!   Some kids actually got too cold, too tired, and they gave up. They said they didn’t want to wait any more- that they were going back to bed.    I know they didn’t doubt that the sun would actually rise- but they couldn’t stand the wait to see it- they didn’t like feeling uncomfortable and tired and decided it would be better to go back to their warm beds.                                                

But the rest of us kept waiting.  And wouldn’t you know….the sun did rise (around 6:10 to be exact). And it was beautiful.  It was breathtaking. In the hour we had spent waiting we could see signs that the sun would rise as the sky got bluer and lighter, but the sun still wasn’t visible—we knew it was coming but we couldn’t actually see it. Then suddenly it appeared and the process of it rising happened so fast that if you turned away for a few moments you would have missed it.  The kids that gave up and left early had missed it.  But those of us that had remained were able to witness the beauty- and suddenly that waiting didn’t seem all too bad.  The perspective had shifted when we witnessed what we had been waiting for.

Lately my life and walk with the Lord can feel a little like that sunrise.  Some days I’m tempted to just crawl back into bed like some of our kids did because I’m just tired of waiting- I’m tired and cold and would rather go some place more comfortable and  go to sleep.  Sure, you say that the sunrise is going to happen- but I’ll just take your word on it.  I’m too tired to care.

But something about seeing the sun at high noon isn’t quite as glorious as when it is viewed at the first break of day.  There is something marvelous in witnessing it rise- in not only seeing the realization of what you had been waiting for, but getting to take part in it. And if we don’t take part in the waiting, and in the trusting- then we might actually miss out on the blessing. We actually could miss it!  But when we wait…and when it does rise-- suddenly the waiting will have seemed like no time at all.  We will instead be captivated by the light revealed in that first glimpse we catch of the Son.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-2

those of us that made it! :)