Looking for the Silver Lining
They say every cloud has a silver lining. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know with life, it’s all about perspective. The things that appear to be good may actually be bad and vice versa. It depends on how we look at it.
On Sunday morning, Jason and I were scheduled to be at a church nearly three hours from our house. To arrive in time to set up our display before the Sunday School hour, we had to get up around 4:00 in the morning. I didn’t even realize 4:00 came twice a day. I was only familiar with the afternoon variety, and after acquainting myself with the morning variety, I think I’ll stick with my old ways.
As we drove along down the interstate, listening to music and drinking coffee (or hot tea for me), I discovered something wonderful about getting up before the sun. We had the opportunity to watch it rise, and let me tell you, it was breathtaking. The sky took on beautiful hues of pink, red, orange and yellow as it framed the dark silhouette of the majestic mountains. Wow!
Honestly, I can’t tell you the last time I watched a sunrise. Granted, I’m often awake early enough to do so, but I don’t take the time to enjoy the show. Sunday, however, I had a front-row seat, and as I watched the morning unfold, I forgot about being tired. Gone were the wishful thoughts of having slept in for a few more hours. No, I cherished the moment. What I thought was a curse turned out to be a blessing.
The book of James puts it like this:
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”
I wasn’t joyful about getting up at 4:00 in the morning. Nope! But the sunset changed everything. It changed my perspective, my attitude, and my joy. I saw things in a new light. . .literally!
It’s hard to see the “silver lining” when the clouds are heavy and dark in our lives. It’s difficult to be joyful amid circumstances that are less than ideal. But if we’ll keep in mind that it’s all a matter of perspective, maybe it will be easier to wait for the morning. Yes, it’s dark in the early morning hours, but the sunrise is just around the corner. And I assure you, it’s worth it! Hang in there, dear friend. Your sunrise is on its way.
