Before The Day Breaks

For years, my favorite hours have been those I’ve spent in the dark of morning.  I so cherish the moments of conscious stillness and contemplative preparation while everything around me lies asleep. 

The longest runs, the bravest ideas, the wildest adventures, the most challenging work, and the most taxing parenting have all tapped into the well that is the dark of morning. The best of all has been the anchoring of prayer in communion with God.

By dawn, I welcome light and life into my day as a harmony to the song I’ve already begun to sing, rather than an alarm nagging me to catch up to speed. 

Have you ever watched the sun rise and observed as the world woke up around you? 

Oh, the joy! 

What marvelous peace to witness such an orchestra, what rich serenity preceding the crescendo.  

This is all assuming you had coffee, of course … scratch everything I just said if there is no coffee ;) 

I kid :)

The time before the day breaks is more than just a personal delight, though; it’s strategic, too. To anticipate what will come provides an incredible advantage compared to reacting to life’s experiences in real-time. It’s the difference of preparation. 

These days, I feel the world is waking up - and what’s happening in slow motion to those who have been watching will perhaps appear as a rude awakening to some. 

Geopolitical wars? Economic collapses? Widescale corruption? Who knows what is bursting at the seams of society’s stitching. 

I would guess all of the above - but that’s not so important. Truly, I can’t control what happens during the course of my day. What I can do is protect the treasure that is the dark before my day: the anchor through the storm and the preparation for what’s to come. 

I Googled it, and to prepare means “to make something or someone ready.” 

Maybe that’s what I love most about my mornings - that feeling of being made ready. 

Preparation is not all or nothing. Even 10 minutes of foresight, planning, and prayer can alter the course of your journey for the better. But, as far as I’m concerned, there’s no such thing as “bright and early” - it’s either one or the other! :)