Choosing to See a Beautiful Day

"I don't wanna act too high and mighty, cause tomorrow, I may fall on my face. 

Thank you for sunshine
Thank you for rain
Thank you for joy
Thank you for pain
It's a beautiful day."

(Song: Beautiful Day, Trinix, Rashawn & Jermaine Edwards)

I have got to be honest with those of you reading today. I had a really hard time rolling out of bed this morning. I opened my eyes to see Lucy’s picture on the pillow right beside me, (I have her pictures on a pillow case because of my horrible eye sight- otherwise I cannot see her pictures during the night/when I don’t have my glasses on, unless something is literally right at my face.) and although her face makes me smile, it also reminds me she is not physically here. Which is another reason I have her picture right beside me, because I still wake up looking for her!

After asking, well more like begging Jesus to supernaturally make me get up, I slowly rolled out and slowly started my morning.

Now I don’t know about you, but my brain tends to always be having its own musical production. What I mean by that is this, daily occurrences, commercials, random thoughts, to do lists, really anything can spark the lyrics to a song and that song is on repeat until the next song gets triggered. And this is an ongoing, pretty much nonstop performance. I can’t remember a time when it hasn’t been playing. This may be because my family loves music- grandparents, parents, brother, cousins, niece, nephew, etc. The songs range from hymns to country to old school rap to 90s Christian to bluegrass to pop to R&B to spirituals- you name it, it’s locked in somewhere up there.

In the past few weeks I have had a medley of hymns, most of them are my grandparents and my older influences favorites. These have been a sweet reminder of the time they spent with me and invested in me. The majority of these hymns, unfortunately, are missing in churches today.

Music does many things for my heart, mind, and soul. I am realizing more as I grow older and experience more joy and more pain, how music of all kinds reminds me to look for the beautiful in everyday. To be intentional about saying thanks. How important it is to observe and acknowledge what I am grateful for. To honor and praise the One who supplies what I need when I need it. Whether that is a song, a deep breath, encouragement, or just a push to roll slowly out of bed.

A sample of the lines from hymns that have been reminders these past few weeks:

He walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am His own
Change and decay in all around I see. O Thou who changest not, abide with me
Precious Lord, take my hand. Lead me on, let me stand. I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m worn.
I love to tell the story because I know it is true. It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

Today, I choose, because it is a choice, to say… Jesus, Thank you for sunshine, thank you for rain, thank you for joy, thank you for pain, thank you for the walks and talks, thank you for never changing, thank you for holding me and helping me stand, thank you for satisfying my needs, thank you for fall, thank you for music, thank you for children, thank you for rest, thank you for a new day!