The Sun Is Rising

When I was a kid, about ten or eleven, I remember having a hard time sleeping the night before Easter. That was kind of a rough time for me. My parents had just split up and things were very crazy around the house. As I was laying in bed I was thinking about things that a boy that age shouldn't have to be thinking about. Tossing and turning and feeling a bit lost. I decided that the only way I was going to get any sleep was if I went and crawled into bed with my mom. Mom always had a way of making me feel protected and loved. Which is what I needed at that time. I crept into her room which was dark but because it was a warm night her window was open and just enough light pierced the room so I could see my way to her bed. Mom was on her usual side of the bed. Still not used to sleeping by herself I guess. Not realizing that she had the whole bed to herself now. I slipped in the bed and pulled the covers over me and snuggled up to mom. Mom, now realizing I was there next to her, reached her loving arm around me and tucked me in. And all felt right again in life.

Mom's bed that year was right up against her window. Her headboard was made of metal bars, not solid, so when you laid in bed you could look out the window. This made the perfect setting for a teaching opportunity that I would not recognize until I reached adulthood and had a greater understanding of life. As we laid there in bed the sun began to rise. The dark of the night seemed to just slip away and the beautiful dark blue sky turned all kinds of bright colors. Yellow, orange, purple and blue. Before you knew it the brightness of the sun started to illuminate everything in it's path. It was Easter morning. Mom, in an attempt to wake me so I could see the majestic sunrise, leaned over to me and said, "Jamie, The sun is rising". I opened my eyes just long enough to see the bright sun and the beautiful array of colors dancing in the sky. "Isn't it amazing"? She asked. Still half asleep I said, "Yeah". Then I rolled over and went back to sleep.

For whatever reason, whether it be of God or just a memory that comes to my mind this time every year, I think about what she said to me to wake me on that beautiful Easter morning. "Jamie, the sun is rising." Yes indeed mom. On that glorious of days, after the worst of days, The Son is rising. Risen to take away all our pains. All of our guilt. All of our worry. Risen to comfort those that stand in need of comfort and mourn with those that mourn. Risen to bring families back together again after this life is over. Risen to make the rest of our days brighter and full of hope and peace.

That morning, as my mind remembers it, was beautiful. It was a brief but powerful learning experience for me. I am grateful for those tiny moments that to this day continue to make an impact on how I live my life. Oh, I am not perfect. I don't have to be. I do what I can and because of that glorious Son rise on that first Easter morning, I will get through this life and on to the next where I will be able to enjoy the companionship of my family forever.