I have been travelling recently, which I love. Travelling is such a privilege, to visit different places, to discover new perspectives and meet such a variety of people. I have been in America when it was Veterans Day, and learned so much about how people remember and commemorate conflict.

Travelling also disturbs your sleep pattern, so for me it means that I am often awake when others are asleep. The time difference can be brutal. However instead of fretting about not being able to sleep, I can reframe it to allowing myself to enjoy the quiet. A cup of tea, and time to think, read and pray is just beautiful.

Life can be so frantic, that taking that quiet moment can be life giving. Sitting in darkness feels symbolic- we are reflecting on difficult memories, trying to navigate currect choices, wondering about the future. It is a time of waiting.

What strikes me is that we might feel we are waiting with apprehension or fear- or we can choose to wait with anticipation and trust. God is faithful in every situation, and I choose to trust Him. Even when we wait in the dark, there is still the quiet light of the stars and the moon shining in the night’s sky.

I have been reading some John O’ Donoghue about the coming of the dawn, and amongst many gorgeous lyrical insights he shares, he says simply ‘the dawn is a refreshing time, a time of possibility and promise.’

The psalmist echoes this sentiment in psalm 119: 148 ‘ I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word.”

There is something special about watching the light coming in the night’s sky. It cannot be hurried, but only observed and appreciated. Whatever our cries and thoughts during the hours of darkness, the first light of dawn brings hope and beauty, a deep sense of reverence and worship, a sense of privilege at the gift of having another day of life.

Dawn is a time of hope, of possibility, of transformation. Our troubled cries and thoughts in the night dissipate, and there emerges a renewed strength and sense of wonder. It is a sacred time, which is to be cherished.

Gracious and Eternal God, sometimes we feel lost in the darkness, overwhelmed by the suffering and pain in this world, by our mistakes and struggles. Yet after a time of  prayerful waiting in the night, there comes the most spectacular dawn of stripy colour and patterns of luminous cloud formations. Lord Jesus, just like the dawn, your presence brings light, and lifts our spirits, and inspires our souls. Thank you that You see us, and that even in the darkness that we are never alone or forsaken. Holy spirit, we thank you that You are at work in our lives, helping us to be attentive to beauty and possibilities of healing and hope. We praise You, Amen.