Sunrise this morning was striking! I had to pause from my morning devotional reading to absorb it. I questioned, "How does the sun not burn up?" "What set it afire to begin with?" Others followed like, "Shouldn't it be shrinking? Was it once too large and produced too much heat for life? Can it become too small to properly heat us? How has it consistently produced ideal temperatures on earth for thousands or millions (depending upon your view of creation) of years?"

In the minute it took me to ponder these profound matters, the rays broke over the horizon and drew halos around the clouds. Shafts of light followed, and broadened until they met and merged into a single swath of light. In total, it took only two or three minutes for the first glow to become full day. I almost missed it.

I've missed a lot of sunrises, but they haven't been the only or most important 'misses' of my life, and there are lots of questions I haven't that I should have. How about you?

I expect there will be another chance to catch the sunrise tomorrow and more opportunities to consider it's wonder, but somethings come and go without a second chance.

Our children's lives are an example. Infant's crys in the night quickly pass. In a matter of days they are 3 months, then 6 months, then toddling, then schooling, then driving, then gone. Imperceptible as the sun's transformation from glow to full day is the time with our children. Before we hardly know how to treasure them they are gone, and often before we've asked the right questions.

By 'right questions' I don't mean the usual important wonderings about who they will marry, or what they'll become. We typically do not miss thinking about those. In fact, we think about them very much. But there are others we may never even think to ask. They are questions like: "What does my love for them tell me of God's feelings for me? For what Divine purpose is this child in my life? What do their weaknesses, disobediences, humility, pride, selfishness, spiritualtiy mirror in me or for me?" These dive deeply behind the scenes and consider what our children are illustrating for us about the eternal matters; what of the unseen are we seeing in them?

Are your children already adults? Are your infants at pre-school today, or the high schoolers away at college? No matter, it isn't too late. Oh, it may be too late to walk the crying infant, or play pretend games with the toddler, or attend their ballgames, or concerts, or take them for rides in the car or walks in the park. It is perhaps too late in the day to see the morning's first glow, but it isn't too late to ask the right questions. In fact, it is about time.

So, even if you've missed some sunrises don't fret- it won't help anyway, but do not fail to grab your coffee at break-time and ponder your life. It will be enlightening.

Have a gourmet day!

All material copyrighted by Stephen Meeks

SAVING THE MASSES, BUT NOT.

On a walk today, I mused about my recently deceased Mother.

So much I wish I had said. More that I wish she knew. Regrets. Failings. Short-comings; all of them mine.

Saving the world, building empires, serving the great masses we can fail at our primary mission—the loving and blessing of those nearest us. But failures are just that--failures. Nothing alters the past. We have only today and perhaps, tomorrow, to do better.

Who should I notice today? Who might I be overlooking as I gaze upon the masses? "My wife and my children," is my heart's silent reply. And certainly, obviously, they are the PRIMARY mission of my life.

So, to avoid regrets, failures, or short-comings I will love and bless them today…and tomorrow….and the next day....BEFORE and IN PREFERENCE TO the great masses. We should all lay aside our empires, step down off our stallions, and think this through very carefully.

If we'll sit in the sand box with our children, or stand beside our wives at the kitchen sink, and listen sincerely and caringly to their hearts I believe we will have no regrets. I have a hunch that putting family first, will ironically and ultimately, somehow, lead to saving the masses and the building of empires.

At least, this is what I thought and prayed about today on my walk.

All material copyrighted by Stephen Meeks