Morning mercies

For some, it is the fragrance of fresh coffee, eggs, and bacon that invites them into the day. Growing up, it was the smell of toast browning in the kitchen and a large pot of savory cheese grits warming on the stove that marked the beginning of morning. Before my feet ever touched the floor, home already felt awake. There was comfort in those familiar sounds and smells, the quiet promise that a new day had begun.
When I was raising my children, morning carried a different music. It was the sound of their excitement and the quick footsteps of little feet making their way to my bedside that awakened me. Some mornings came with whispers, some with laughter, and some with the urgency only children can bring. One morning, I remember opening my eyes to the joyful voice of a 3-year-old girl declaring, “Mommy, I wake the sunshine up for you!”
Over the years, the morning has greeted me in many different ways. Some mornings arrived with laughter, some with responsibility, some with anticipation, and some with the quiet weight of concern. Most recently, it is the presence of two small Yorkies who bounce around my head and try their best to steal my pillow until I finally give in and get up before the coffee ever begins.
If I am honest, though, not every morning begins so perfectly. From time to time, the proverbial “wrong side of the bed” raises its unwanted head, and I stumble into the morning feeling more tired than when I lay down. We have all been there – the dreaded Monday morning when we would rather cover our heads with the comforter and disappear beneath it all. I wonder what would happen if, on those days, we remembered that the mercies of the Lord are brand new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23).
Elijah discovered the renewing mercies of the Lord when he found himself afraid and alone, burdened by the world. He carried those burdens into the night when he lay beneath a broom tree, ready to end it all. Yet God awakened him in the morning with an angel nearby and fresh cakes of bread beside his head. There, in his exhaustion and despair, Elijah learned that even the darkest night can be followed by the tender mercies of a new morning (1 Kings 19:4–8).
It is through Elijah that we learn how the Lord will meet us in our mornings. Still, it is through Jesus that we learn how to meet our Heavenly Father before the break of day. In the constant companionship of the disciples and amid the needs of the people who followed Him, Jesus understood the crowding of the world. While it was yet dark, He stepped away to a quiet place to pray and commune with the Father. There, He reminds us that before we face the demands of the day, we are invited to meet first with God (Mark 1:35).
So, before the phone rings or worry finds its voice, remember you are not alone. The God who woke Elijah is the same Father Jesus sought in prayer—and He is waiting for you. Take a gentle breath as you whisper gratitude, giving your fears to the Lord as you receive strength for the day. Do not fear tomorrow, for grace is given in morning portions, fresh and steady. Our days begin one dawn at a time as the Father faithfully awakens the sun for each of us.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you (Psalm 143:8).

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.