Devotion - Wednesday, September 21

I love mornings. I really do. I get up early, make some coffee, let the dog out, let the cat in, get the paper and scan the headlines, then I sat down and read my Bible and say my prayers. It is so quiet and peaceful; in the early morning hours.

This morning, as I was waking, I could hear the gentle rain falling outside. When I went for the paper, I could tell it has just started. By the time I picked up my Bible, it was raining steady. The place I sit to read and pray is by our front door. I opened the inside door, so I could hear the sound of the glorious rain. through the screen.

As I prayed, recalling the requests to remember ailing loved ones and the longings for clear vision, the sound of the rain continued to grow stronger. "Thank you, Lord. For the refreshing rain which enlivens all things."

In my prayers, I acknowledged the things on my "to do list," and I lifted before God my hope that tasks would not interfere with my ability to be available to those whom He will send my way this day. Was I imagining it, or did the rain start to fall a bit faster? "Thank you, Lord. For washing away all those things which seem so urgent to me, but are truly only a means to accomplish that which you have called me to do."

Somewhere around this time, the cat decided she had eaten enough and was ready to go back outside. When she saw the rain, she thought better of it and retreated back into the house, to curl up in the bed where Laura is still sleeping. "Thank you, Lord. You have given me a place of shelter, a place of security amidst the storms of life."

I love mornings; this morning I will cherish for a very long time. When I got out of the bed, I had no idea that all this was waiting for me. What a gift from God!

But then, in our lives, we so often recieve such a gift. God provides for us; God remains faithful to us. Perhaps it is the noise and constant activity which prevents us from perceiving all that God has done.

Find some quiet time for yourself this morning - and re-discover all the reason why you might say, "Thank you, Lord."