glory

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"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you!"

Those words I've prayed for years, and sung in song  have come to life even more for me.

When our schedules allow it, and the weather and waves are right, Laura and I take turns going for a paddle out around sunrise.

I have a wetsuit that makes it possible, but the water still feels cold enough to help wake me up. After being splashed by a wave as I paddle out, I feel like I'm born-again. Ready for a new day.

close-up of my board
Most days I still spend time with my books and journal for my reading and writing practice either before or after time in the surf, but the paddle-out has become one of the most religious parts of my day.

When the sunrise bursts through the clouds while I wait for a wave, I feel unified. Connected with God and the good creation. And whether I speak the words aloud or not, my heart sings: "Arise, shine; the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you."

Comments

  1. Linda AstalaJanuary 23, 2016 at 5:09 AM

    Beautiful words and photos! This will sound strange to you, probably, but several years ago while walking in the woods it came to me that there had been days, even weeks, when I had neither looked at the sky or at the ground. Since then I've tried to be intentional about "looking up and looking down" each day. Your words, "... unified. Connected with God and the good creation." articulate what that simple act does for me.

    Thanks, James+.

    Linda A

    ReplyDelete

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