By: Carin Weier
Have you ever found yourself awake at 3am, with your head spinning? I lived there for years. Whether it was lingering thoughts from the day before or the anxiety of what the next day would bring, 3am often became a battleground in my mind. Sitting in that darkness, I felt like my world was a dismal place, but the truth was that my world was truly filled with goodness. It was just that the 3am hour that was a difficult place to be, especially in the dark.
Every morning, when the dawn broke, I would rise to prepare for the day. Some days were more challenging than others, but then I found myself starting to look forward to my drive to work. Along that route, I had the opportunity to see the foothills leading up to the mountains. More days than not, those mountains would take my breath away.
Every day, the mountains revealed themselves to me in slightly different ways. Some days, the sunlight would cascade through the foothills, allowing me to see every layer leading up to the mountain peaks. Other days, the fog shrouded the base of the foothills, revealing only the highest mountain peaks. Then, there were days when every peak, hill and layer in between were on full display for all creation to see.
There was one particular morning when the skies were gray, cloudy and rainy. The darkness of that day obscured my view of those mountains that brought me such joy every morning. It was then that I realized that even if I couldn’t see my beloved mountains, it didn’t mean they weren’t standing tall in all their majesty. It was at that moment I understood that just as I looked to those mountains each morning, I could look to the LORD in the same way.
The darkness of that dreaded 3am hour started to lose its intensity. I made the decision that when I woke up in the middle of the night, I would focus on my wonderment of what GOD would do with the mountains in the morning. My battles turned into curiosity and intrigue. That darkness transformed into a hopeful anticipation of the joy GOD would unveil with the view of those mighty mountains in the morning.
In your darkest hour, where can you turn to for inspiration to move forward? Perhaps you live in a place without a mountain in sight. Maybe your current view doesn’t appear majestic to you, but what could you look at every day with wonder and excitement in order to discover its beauty? If you find yourself searching for such beauty during the 3am hour, consider reaching out to the LORD. Ask Him to reveal the beauty He has intentionally placed before you. Perhaps when the dawn breaks, you’ll awaken to something you hadn’t noticed until this very moment in time.
