By Alice Valdal
At Bible Study the other night, the leader asked us to name a particularly special moment from the past week. A moment? Hard to distill all the lovely times with friends and family and a short vacation into one moment. But I decided to name the sunrise.
For thos of you familiar with the West Coast of Canada, you'll know this is our season of grey, wet days. But, amidst our rain, we have had some lovely sunrises. I find myself watching that moment when the sky lightens and the red ball of the sun appears, streaking horizon beneath the clouds with brilliant colour.
My Dad loved the sunrise, so I find myself sharing those early morning moments with him, in spirit, and smiling. When he first passed away, I wondered if I would ever feel like smiling again, wondered if the memories would ever bring comfort instead of pain. Now, I know. Time does heal and God never leaves us to bear our sorrow alone.
With all the grief and suffering that have occurred in Haiti recently, it is so important that we remember that death is not the end for us. The cycle of birth, death, rebirth rolls on with every sunrise, every seed we sow, every turn of the tide. God's world is infinitely intricate and infinitely wonderful. How perfectly amazing that He cares for us, in all our seasons.
On Sunday, my Dad would have turned ninety. I'll watch the sunrise, then go to church and lead my junior choir in the anthem "Sing a New Song." And I'll thank God for all the seasons of my life.
Music speaks to me in ways that mere words cannot. Among my favourite hymns that remind us of the never-ending stream of life, is this one.
The day Thou gavest, Lord is ended,
The darkness falls at Thy behest
To Thee our morning hymn ascended
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest
The sun that bids us rest, is waking
Our brethren 'neath the western sky
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high
To Thee our morning hymn ascended
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest
The sun that bids us rest, is waking
Our brethren 'neath the western sky
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high
( from a hymn by John Ellerton )
I'd love to hear about your favourite hymns. Leave a comment saying why a particular hymn or verse speaks to you and I'll enter you in a draw for a cd of Welsh Revival Hymns. Winner to be announced on Feb. 26, 2010. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
To learn more about me, check out my website http://www.alicevaldal.com
