Sunrise

As an early riser, I love to see the sunrise. I’ve seen and photographed beautiful sunrises in Africa, across most of the Caribbean Islands, Hawaii, the South Pacific, Peru and a many other venues. One of my favorites places to watch the sun come up is Dauphin Island, Alabama. Precious Christian friends, Wayne and Pam Eldridge, have a lovely beach house on the island. They have graciously invited us to come whenever we can to rest from our labor and enjoy the beauty of Dauphin Island.

As the sun pushes toward the horizon, it seems the darkness tries, if only momentarily, to retain its grip on the dark skies. My heart always quickens a beat in anticipation of the burst of golden light that inevitably overcomes the night. Soon the shadows flee and before my admiring eyes the sunrise paints the scene with golden hues. Words from a contemporary chorus well up inside: “He clothes Himself in light, the darkness tries to hide, and trembles at His sight and trembles at His sight – How great is our God!”

For a brief moment, in my mind’s eye, I can stand as an observer of Genesis 1: 1-3:  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”

Often special memories come to me of a dark night, long ago in eastern Kentucky. I was 15 years old and becoming increasingly aware of my sin-dark soul. I was attending a revival in a little Free Will Baptist Church that sat beside the railroad tracks. The massive coal trains would rumble by and literally shake the church. As they passed by, the powerful locomotives belched out smoke, cinders, and soot. A dark cloud covered everything. My soul was shaken with conviction. My dark, sin-ladened heart trembled in fear. It was there I heard Jesus say… “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46). 

That dark night, the light of Christ came to me. Since then, I have been privileged to witness many marvelous sunrises. But none can compare to the explosion of light that flooded my soul that night. The reality of John 8:12 was mine: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life’.” For 56 years, Jesus has been the light of my life.

I LOVE SUNRISES

~ Brother Roy