Sunrise with God...

Normally I insist God come to me, but today, I woke early and decided that today I would move closer to him. Sometimes life just wakes you up early.  And you wake knowing what you are supposed to do.  You get your coffee, jot down your gratitudes and then a few minutes later you are in the car and headed to a place you have never been before, but know you are supposed to be today.

You begin the day with a long drive, night giving way to day, the sun asserting its dominion and the moon conceding its.  And you are there, present, driving towards something you know you need but can’t yet describe.

You turn off the well worn way onto a winding path that leads high above the life you know.  While there are many vistas, there is one in particular you long for and you know you will find it just in time.  And you do...

All you can hear is the wind in the pines, the sound that could also be the rush of water, instead of wind.  But this high up, you know there is only wind.  You hear it blow through the trees and see its gentle reminders in the dancing needles that surround.  You pull over and take a trail up to a crop of rocks.  You scout around a bit but know this is the place.  

As your back slides down the stony wall, you find you are just in time to see the sun crest over the mountain, and you are there to prove it existed.  You are there to witness the brilliance overcome the distant horizon and break a new day just in front of you.   You are there on Easter morning, at daybreak to see the dawning of this day you have just begun all because you woke early and heeded the call that beckoned you from the comfort of your bed to the adventure that called you here. "Get closer to God today..."

You might wonder to no one but yourself, “how have you not been here before?”  How after all this time, have you never taken the time to come here to witness this?”  And while you give only a moment to that thought, you are grateful for finding yourself here today.

It is not even 7 am and you have already seen the moon cast its glow over a familiar lake, a rocket blaze across the morning sky and now the sun crest over a rising peak.  So much life packed into this nascent day and you know that you are living.  You can feel your heartbeat keep time with the rustling wind and you can feel your feet take root in the earth beneath them.  You can feel the pulse of life in every breath you take.

And while you didn’t know why the early call to rise, but you know it now.  You absolutely know it with all you are right now.

And for just a moment, you know there is a reason, a purpose and a wonder to your life.  You are not supposed to be somewhere else, or doing other things.  No, you were simply put here to witness this day as it unfolds its majesty and simplicity of being.  On this day you were simply supposed to rise...and welcome the new day with awe and wonder and gratitude and grace. At an altitude that is closer to God...

And you know, without a doubt, this day is absolutely made for you and God, and you say a silent prayer that others have the kind of day you are having and pray that you come back to this place again soon...

Again...still.