Simple Sunrise
“Take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace, the beauty of thy peace.”
- The Hymnal 1982, hymn 653
One of the things that brings me the greatest sense of peace is also sublimely simple: a morning walk with my pup to see the sunrise. I’m more and more convinced that it is, in fact, the simplest things that are life’s greatest treasures: a hug from someone we hold dear, uncontrollable laughter that brings tears to our eyes, flowers, a hike in the mountains, waves meeting the shoreline, a cookie warm from the oven… the list goes on and on.
I had the great fortune of knowing and loving my husband’s grandmother, Sara. She was remarkable in a million ways. One of the things I admired most about her was her genuine sense of wonder and marvel. That, and her ability to make the most delicious cornbread you’ve ever eaten. She maintained an ability to appreciate the little things despite her ability to have grandeur. In a world that obsesses over image and excess and idolizes materialism, she valued the things we so often take for granted. Sara would chuckle at the amazing capabilities of the world we live in and was truly fascinated by the talents and experiences of others. In her I recognized the gift of delighting in the simple things. The joy found in doing so.
Stress has a way of creeping in. It’s the busyness that gets me. The “how in the world am I going to make it all happen” or “yes, today, I have 5 million tasks to do- rush- rush- rush”. As I flit and fret and keep the world turning, the concept of peace is nearly laughable. And I crave a walk with Buddy, a pause under a tree’s canopy, quiet, stillness. Because my subconscious knows, it recognized it long before I formed it as a thought, that simplicity brings peace. I thought I was accidentally intentional, but I’m questioning that concept. Perhaps my heart knew all along that in order to remove strain and stress I needed an ordered habit that would allow me to confess the beauty of simple peace.
