Today’s Word from Deacon Amy…
Awake, my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn.
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
Psalm 57:8-9
My daughter, Lia, sent me the attached picture today. She captioned it, “Appa is embracing the morning!” Appa is our boar; he weighs in at roughly 550 pounds, and he’s a pretty cool guy. We recently had to enlarge the opening to his stall so that he could walk in again rather than crawling – pigs don’t crawl well. On most mornings, we find Appa in this position, with his body inside the stall and his head out, seemingly smiling at the morning. Appa knows how to embrace the day.
I’ve found that most animals have the amazing ability to begin each day fresh. They seldom carry yesterday’s worries into the new morning. They don’t start their day with a mile long to-do list or an overly busy schedule. They don’t have worries and anxieties to dwell on. They embrace each day as it comes, searching out sunshine and good company.
Walking outside and seeing Appa and our other critters every morning helps me to remember to embrace each day for what it is; a fresh start. The goats calmly grazing in the field remind me to slow down and enjoy the morning. The ducks splashing in their little pool help me to focus on finding joy everywhere I can. The dogs happily greeting me at the gate remind me to appreciate spending time with people that I care about.
Each morning, I am reminded of all that I have to be thankful for. It is good to take time to remember all of the good things in our lives. Tomorrow morning, I’m going to try to remember to embrace the day with the peace and joy that our animals exude. I hope you will too!
Deacon Amy
