Morning Reminders of Joy

Some mornings, Matt and I carpool. He drops me off at the end of campus, and I enjoy my walk into work for the day. Campus is quiet, and I love my time to connect with the Lord while the birds sing all around. This morning on my walk, a fox appeared about six feet from me and stopped me dead in my tracks (but I did proceed to move several feet back to give it space). It sat there, and we just stared one another down for a few minutes. Being careful not to scare it away, I finally got the nerve to pull out my iPhone and snap a few pictures. And shortly afterwards, we went our separate ways.

It was one of those mornings that the Lord uses for my joy and His name's sake.  I am reminded of Psalm 104 - a psalm I fell in love with back in college while sitting in an Old Growth Forest in the Puget Sound.  I turn to it now, and oh how it echoes my heart on this morning particularly.

Psalm 104:1, 13, 22-24, 31, 33-35
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
The earth is satisfied with YOUR work.
When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens.
Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.
O Lord, how manifold are YOUR works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
The earth is full of YOUR creatures.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!

Sometimes blessings come when we least expect it and cause us to overflow with joy - not in the blessings themselves, but of the one who gave us the blessings in the first place. His beauty and glory are truly all around. Look for it today in those unexpected places or situations.