This month in El Salvador my team and I are at Remar Orphanage. Our days are filled with waking up children and getting them ready for school, cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, killing chickens, construction, giving devotions, helping in the school, playing soccer, beach cleanup, putting on Sunday School at the local church, helping with homework, dishes, and every day our morning starts at 4:30. Yes, that’s 4:30 AM. It’s exhausting but the best kind of tiredness there is.
I have never ever ever been a morning person in my life. In fact, my philosophy before the race has always been, “please don’t talk to me until the clock hits double digits.” Since being on the race that hasn’t really been possible anymore and honestly the mornings have turned into my favorite part of the day. I am starting to appreciate each morning more and more.
My favorite part of every morning here are a lot of little things. I love watching the sunrise come up between the trees. Having a really productive day. Coffee. Helping 12 boys find their shoes and making them do their chores because they would rather play games. Braiding little girls hair one after another. Waking a four month old baby up and holding him. Cutting hundreds of mangos to sell at the school. The stillness, quietness and complete presence of the Lord. Discussing with a friend a weird dream from the night before while chowing down on some oatmeal. The brand new start of a new day that can take you anywhere.
That is what has been gripping me the most lately. That no matter how awful my day was yesterday or how much I loved the previous day and never wanted it to end, The Lord blesses us with another day to bless others every single day. The Lord gives new mercies everyday. Our lives are a gift and such a journey that He wants to be apart of. I’m learning more and more to ask Him to reveal himself to me throughout the day. To show himself in the routine moments and all of the new experiences.
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly- Psalm 5:3
So tomorrow morning whether you are someone who already embraces every morning or you tend to hit the snooze button 11 times before rolling out of bed. Find the little things. The nuggets of goodness that are present everyday and enjoy the life that you’ve been given because it’s such an adventure.
