The Joy of Rising With the Sun

Something magical happens around six in the morning at my house. Color slowly seeps into the world again. Blacks and grays become blue, greens, and reds. What was invisible becomes visible. And the day is reborn.

I never appreciated this time when I was younger. I was a self-proclaimed night owl who loved sleep too much. I greeted 7:30am with a groan. 

Then I became a mom. And I started greeting all hours with a groan. Morning always came too soon and I rarely woke with a cheerful attitude. If I couldn't roll over and bury myself under a pillow, I grudgingly forced myself out of bed. I wasn't thinking about the rebirth of the world; my mind was already running through my long to-do list for the day.

So what changed for me?

Two things:

My early-bird husband somehow convinced me to start walking with him early in the morning. 

"If we wake up before the kids, we can go out for a walk, just the two of us!" he said.

"Before the kids?!" I replied. "At like... 6am?!"

"Yeah! Then we can get some exercise, get some time together, start off our day right!"

I can't tell you how many times we had this conversation before I finally said yes. And when we finally started getting up at 6am, I grumbled for a full week, because it was cold and I really loved my warm bed. But after a week of grumbling, I began to notice things: the neighbors' beautiful flowers, the morning's stillness, the early sun's lovely pale light, the birds eagerly looking for breakfast. The kickstart also gave me more energy in the morning. I wasn't moving at half-speed for half the morning. And of course, the extra time for uninterrupted conversation with my husband was a bonus! I started looking forward to rising with the sun.

For several weeks, we remained consistent in walking, Monday through Saturday. And then, just as we were making a habit of it, we couldn't go out because of the poor air quality from local fires. Then there was illness. Then the winter cold and rain. Then, it was simply getting-comfortable-with-sleeping-in-again. Before I knew it, I was groaning and moaning at 7:30am like before. I didn't know what I was missing until we went camping in July.

The Klamath area where we camped is full of redwoods, beaches, blackberries, and fog... my perfect environment. But camping also meant wildlife is right outside. Every morning, around 5:30am, a crow would sit in the tree directly above our tent and caw repeatedly. Then the sunlight would start coming through the tent. Then a child would wake up and need to go to the bathroom.

And it was on one of these early morning bathroom trips that I noticed how happy nature was even when I wasn't. While I was bleary-eyed and scowling, small song birds were chasing each other, chirping cheerfully like kids running a race. The flowers showed off their colors and the redwoods stretched to the sky. It was a new day, and they all knew it and greeted it with joy.

I decided to start a new habit: no more grumbling about my mornings.

When I came home, I told my friend Smreethi about my morning revelation, and shared with her three verses that I've put on my bathroom mirror.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~Psalm 118:24 ESV

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! ~Phil 4:4 NIV

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. ~Psalm 69:30

And Smreethi encouraged me with this verse:

Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. ~Proverbs 8:30-31

Just last week, I asked my husband if he would start walking with me in the morning. His answer was an enthusiastic "yes!" The next morning, I got up without a grumble. I put on my jacket and shoes and stepped out into the morning chill. The sun was just peeking over the rooftops and my morning glories were starting to wake. A bird greeted me, and I greeted it back. The day was reborn.