Where morning dawns…

I got up and took a walk this morning.  If you know me, you’re probably shocked.  If you don’t know me, well…you should be shocked.  I’m trying to develop a lot of new habits, and walking is one of them.

I do it for two reasons.  First, it’s a step towards getting “un-fat” (and is more effective in that area than sitting on the sofa staring into the abyss).  Second, it gives me time to think, pray, reflect, dream… all those things I cannot do when plugged into the internet or television or the chaos of any given day.

That’s when I saw this:

The sunrise.  The mist over the field.  And just for a moment, my breath was taken away (I only take pictures of things that do that).

***

There is so much noise.  There is so much distraction.  Today, the news is one journalist and politician after another opining about the government shutdown, Obamacare, and how bad the Republicans/Democrats/president sucks.  The weather guys are talking about a developing tropical storm.  My twitter feed lights up with one seminar/workshop/conference promotion after another.  My DVR is set to record at least 10 shows this week.  I wait eagerly for the Playstation 4 release next month.

Noise.

Then there’s the noise in my head.  No, not voices (that would at LEAST explain a few things, though).  No, just that voice:  Mine.  The one with all the doubts and uncertainty.  The one that reminds me how much things can hurt.  The one that reminds me how scary the future is.

Noise.

***

So as I’m walking this morning, my head is filled with these things.  Like background noise you cannot shut down.  And about halfway through my 2 mile walk, I see the image above – the sun rising up above the mist.  And for ONE instant, the voice disappeared and was replaced by another.  A still, small voice.  And it reminded me of something:

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.  (Psalm 65:8)

My voice was replaced with HIS voice.  And I was reminded that in spite of everything happening in the world – and in MY life – that noise can be replaced with joy when you dare to look at the right things.

Is it possible that many of us are miserable, because we aren’t looking for God where he is most obvious?  Anything and everything can discourage us and feel helpless, yet we can forget that even a sunrise is a reminder of WHO is ultimately going to win out.

So, the way I see it.  We can drown ourselves in the cacophony of the day.  (It’s a good word.  Look it up.)  Or let HIS creation call forth songs of joy.

I say we starting drowning out the noise of hopelessness with our own songs of joy.

You in?