Gee I didn’t think the early morning dawn met me at 4:03 AM but unfortunately I awoke believing my body clock instead of the one that measures the daylight.  I can’t help but feeling like a shy actor peeking out from behind the curtain before show time, the house lights help direct the audience to their seats in all that pardon me and oh I’m just down the row past your knees only to have everyone adjust their focus to the stage.  I can’t help but wondering if they imagine themselves in the setting if they have already taken the liberty to immerse themselves in the storyline becoming overtaken by one of the characters if not in body then at least in emotion and thought.  Here, here, take on my role for the day, here’s my lines, or my expected banter, here’s my direction for the scenes that lay ahead, here’s my outline of how my feelings will be yanked from one situation to the next.  Here play me, Step into my conversations, my physical interactions, my spontaneous reactions, my unpredictable life.

Okay, enough of that.   The tree in the kitchen shines on despite the few strands of disconnected lights that never found a way to sparkle this Christmastime. The contrasting branches in darkness and light act as mini spotlights for the ornaments dangling throughout it.  Odd how the annual ritual of displaying objects of the past brightens the beginning and end of each of my December days.  I wish I could simply keep it there, rotating the ornaments to suit the challenges of the coming days.  Allowing the dormant lights to motivate and inspire me.  Can I create the spark to help them shine?  Can I develop the necessary energy to become the source of all that  I simply want to be to others?  Joy, peace, love, gentleness, self-control, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, patience. What if these are my ornaments waiting to have the illumination of my spirit to properly have them reflected to others?  What if I am like an old light strand, losing my connection to help me be truly illuminated to others?  I want to be attached to the right branch, to be plugged into the proper circuit, to not short out but on occasion throw out some sparks to sprinkle into the mix.

So I’m pulling back the curtain on the dawn of a new day.  I’m like this kitchen tree slightly leaning to one side, three quarters lit, haphazardly adorned, yet throwing off enough light to generate at least the semblance of hope for the new day.  I have no idea how many times I may have a miscue in my role, or stumble over the lines I wish I had memorized for the scenes that will unfold.  I can’t predict who comes to fill the seats before me, who steps on somebody’s toes on their way to the prime viewing seat of my life.  I don’t even know if all the circuits will align and allow me to clearly communicate the ideas and agenda for the day.

Yet here we go.  Time clicks on past 5 AM, the full moon has its last hurrah over the coming day.  Breathe in, breathe out, let the blessing of the day begin.

I don’t know where these thoughts arose from this morning, I only know that I want to explore the way each new day begins, beholds its gifts, beckons us to shine even when we believe we can’t, and darn it, provides the stage, even when we would prefer to hide behind the curtain and watch the audience instead.

Ramblings for this morning.  Perhaps I should revisit and revise!!

There’s a lovely thought, revisit with you dear friend and revise our hopes for the day!!

Okay—Act One, Scene One, enter stage right.  Light it up, and make way, the curtain rises on 2016!