The Sunrise

I was treated this morning to another spectacular sunrise. It was the kind that makes you grab your camera and run outside barefoot despite the frost on the ground and the fact that by the time you get back inside you can't feel your toes anymore. It was breathtaking, awe-inspiring and stunning to behold. As I clicked my camera and lost feeling in my feet, I breathed a prayer. "Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this sunrise."

You know what is truly amazing? I mean, amazing beyond comprehension? That God loves me. When I sit down and really think about it, I am blown away by the simple fact that God loves me. Who am I to be loved by Him? What worth do I have that would make me precious to the God who is so big He breathed the stars into place? Why would the God who could paint such a sunrise care enough to even know my name?

I am so far from perfect it sometimes scares me. I have done things so terrible I may as well have spit in the face of my savior. I have shut my mouth when I should have opened it and I have opened it wide when I should have kept tightly closed. My sin is so great I have no hope in myself. And with all that, He still loves me. He calls me His daughter. He wraps me in His grace and because of His perfect mercy, He looks at me as though I've never sinned. He takes me, who is so unworthy, and showers me with blessings I could never have even asked for.

What a fantastic God I serve. Why wouldn't I want to give Him every bit, every part of my life? Surely there could be no higher calling than to live my life to honor the one who made it. What purpose could be more fullfilling than to spend my life in worship of a God so great He can paint the sky? Thank you, Lord, for the gift of the sunrise.