When Morning Gilds the Skies

Good morning, Beloved!

Yesterday when I went out to the beach before dawn, only two stars and the waning half moon right above them were visible, all in a line.  But I went out earlier today and the only light was on the horizon behind what looked like a dense oak grove, really cumulus clouds all stacked up.

And many more stars were visible, including the constellation Orion resting on his left side, and the moon was shining higher and further to the east than yesterday.

There were flocks of those lovely cirrus clouds beginning to turn a light rosy hue after a few minutes, and though there had been a storm last night, the surf was bucolic and just shimmering out to the horizon.

The dolphins I had been calling since I first got here finally showed up yesterday morning, but today I only saw one fin break the surface way out to sea, and I'm not sure whether it belonged to a dolphin or a shark.

In the dark when I first reached the shoreline a runner came quietly past me and as I walked north several more runners and a few walkers nodded or quietly greeted me out loud.  By the time I got back to the motel quite a few residents were on the overlook or in the garden in back of the building.

Was pleasant to chat with a woman who has been here to celebrate a granddaughter's birthday with her family.  The picnic area has a palm frond roof and they put a colorful paper letter "Happy Birthday" string along the edge of the overhang.  They were full of joy and the child seemed very happy both at the party and when I saw her playing on the beach with her parents.

I was blessed yesterday in the middle of the day to go for a walk on the beach with my friend and her six-year-old granddaughter.  Just as I had with my kids when they were six and eight, I showed her the little shells that remind me of angel's wings.  She found five or six when she wasn't merrily skipping in the surf at the edge of the shore , or running ahead of us, splashing.

This morning I found a conch shell, a gift of the sea from the storm that past through from a hour or so before sunset, drawing clouds and wind that blocked all the beautiful colors, but rain is always welcome, and I fell asleep to the sound of drops on the roof.

The beauty of the magenta cirrus clouds as the sun rose added to the general peace of the time between dark and dawn, and as I started to write this, a hymn came into my heart.  You probably know it . . . "When Morning Gilds the Skies."

Here is a version from YouTube:

http://youtu.be/m_ZjM2WMSJQ

I hope you remember you are blessed and completely loved today, Beloved. No matter what is happening, even if things are difficult, God is with you and has promised never to leave you or forsake you.  If you can't quite believe that, please take a deep breath and close your eyes and think of someone who loves you.

That love comes from God and if you keep opening your heart to love and focus on blessings rather than on problems, you will have more peace.

I promise.