My day began with a heavy frost that need scraped off my windshield  before I could head in to work to start the usual morning tasks.  As I took the first round of trash out, the sun was beginning to peek through the tree line.  The moon was still visible overhead and there was a clear, crispness to the air.  The grass was covered with a heavy white frost that seemed very reluctant to melt away.  The sunrise was incredible as the beams of light cut between the trees and illuminated the frost with alternating lines of light and shadow. 

It wasn’t long before the sun reached the top of the tree line and the sunrise picture taking was over.  After I finished getting the building tasks finished for the morning, I settled down to continue writing in the “Devotions For Those Who Serve” series.  Today I finished the week of devotions on serving through friendship and began the week focused on serving with a guarded heart.  The seven devotions in the friendship booklet have probably been the most difficult for me to write so far.  My internal wiring that creates an awkward fear of people makes friendship a difficult thing for me.  There are many times that I am not even sure I know what a friend is, let alone know how to be one.  But I am able to grasp the friend I have in Jesus and this recently completed booklet focuses on serving well our of our relationship with Jesus as we use that friendship as the basis for all others.

It wasn’t long before I realized it was already mid-afternoon and my mind and body were telling me it was time call it a day as far as work goes.  I went home, loaded the kayak in the truck, and headed down to Potato Creek to rest and relax.  The air was calm and the temperature perfect as I put the kayak on the water for the first time this year.  It felt good to sit back, relax, and float on the open water.  While I didn’t see any of the eagles or make it to the osprey nests, there was plenty of wildlife and beauty to photograph.  Sometimes we go looking for reminders of God’s presence with a mind already set on what those reminders should look like.  When we do that, we often miss so many details of God’s presence around us.  While I deliberately look for the eagles each time I head to the park, I have learned to pay attention to the other details of God’s creativity whether I see the eagles or not.

When I was done on the lake I headed home to a great dinner then finished the day with a family walk along the Mishawaka RiverWalk.  It was a great ending to the day as the sun began to set while we were finishing up our walk.  More reminders of God’s creativity and more photo opportunities were plentiful.  It is not every day that I manage to catch both the sunrise and the sunset, but God is still faithful in providing one of each every day.

I pray that you and I would never become so calloused by the routines of life that we miss the beautiful creativity of God.  I pray that we would be known as God’s friend and serve others out of that friendship.  I pray that we would trust God to continue His work in us just as He continues His work in keeping the sun rising and setting each day.