A Winter Sunrise




	God gave us the most glorious Winter sunrise this morning. The huge clouds seemed to float majestically across the entire sky. The reds, pinks, purples, and yellows mixed together to create a beautiful, joyous, and uplifting sight for the eyes, mind, heart, and soul. Birds flew silently and peacefully across the Heavens, and the entire world seemed to be quietly rejoicing in the love and care God put into this morning light.
	It was so fantastic and so heart warming a sight that I couldn’t stand to just watch it through the windows of my heated home. I wanted to be out there surrounded by it. I quickly pulled on my coat then and stepped out on my porch. I looked up to the Heavens with a smile on my face. I breathed in deeply the icy, morning air. I felt my heart beating with happiness, my mind filling with peace, and my soul dancing with delight. I thanked God for this wonderful gift of beauty, love, and joy and for the gift of my life as well.

	I read the other day that many people see only one sunrise in a thousand. It saddened me to think that these gifts from God, given every morning, were being missed by so many. It made me think of all the other gifts from God that we miss, reject, or ignore as well. The arms on our bodies are wonderful gifts, but we rarely use them to hug another. Our voices are fantastic gifts, but we use them to laugh and sing far less than we could. We don’t use our teeth to smile enough, our feet to dance enough, and our eyes to see enough either. This is why we miss so many sunrises and this is why we miss so much love and joy as well.
	Don’t miss out on God’s gifts then. Don’t miss out on the opportunities God gives us every day. Seize them. Rejoice in them. Watch a sunrise with them. Do good with them. Share love and joy with them. And use them to always grow closer to the One who gave them.
	Joseph J. Mazzella