Mornings come early to our house. Long before sunrise most days. I blame my tender bride for insisting that our little ones hit the sheets before 8pm each night. She always seems to have the best ideas at bedtime, but her wisdom comes into question the next morning when three pairs of little feet come crashing through our bedroom door at 5am, all steamed up and lighting the day on fire.
Florida has the perfect solution, provided we can haul our limp carcasses from the sheets and to a coffee maker. It requires a pair of shorts, and flip-flops, and then crowning the ensemble with some measure of shirt, inside out or outside in. It really doesn’t matter. From there, its a brief walk to the truck and a merciful ten-minute drive to the beach.
Lord God Almighty takes it from there as the sun he created for all living things slowly works its way from beyond the horizon into daybreak with the most brilliant warm amber glow. The kids and dogs run and play with reckless abandon, soaking in the promise of a wonderful new day. In contrast, Ana and I stand before the ocean, quietly sipping hot black coffee and reflecting, absorbing, and staring at the spectacle before us. Suddenly the chaos behind, around and beside us slows down, moves in closer, and little hands grab ours. Nothing feels better and we are overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude.
In that moment a quiet peace comes over all as I turn to look at my wife and lover. Our eyes meet, and volumes of unsaid words pass between us like the years. And I see God in every second, every choice, and every breath. Especially the painful ones.
This is the best part of the day.
And so tonight I suspect we will prepare the coffee maker again, so it only takes the press of a button come morning. Ana will set out clothing for everyone, so there’ll be no foggy choices to make in the dark. And just before the sun goes down, we will pray over our precious kids and kiss them goodnight.
And as we lay reflecting on the things that really matter, the things we prayed for and have, and the things we thankfully didn’t get, and we will thank God again for all of it.
