Slowly Rising
Slowly Rising
Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
I was about to write a warm reflection on this bright, morning Scripture when my wife came in and told me that a young lady in our church just lost her husband to cancer. The couple recently adopted two children, and she’s currently pregnant with another, so the loss leaves her in a pitiable plight. Why do good men die so young?! I’m praying for miracles in that sister’s life, wondering if there’s something I can do to help, but I’m searching for words to make sense of the suffering, for some thought that can bring a silver lining to a growing storm cloud, and nothing’s coming. I’m at a loss. Just five minutes ago, the commission to “Arise, shine” was easy. Now, it’s anything but.
Yet something stirs my spirit even as I type. It’s a sense that our good Father loves His hurting daughter with all His heart, that He has glorious plans for her life, and that when He lifts her from the ashes of this dark hour, she’ll stand as a towering beacon for others. So, in light of that—of His radiant goodness—I’ll rise and shine today. And so should you.