New Every Morning | Crossroads Meditations

You can close your eyes or just let them rest on the screen. Take a breath in and let it go. One more, in and out. Picture yourself on a shoreline just before sunrise. The sand is cool under your feet. In front of you, the ocean runs all the way to the edge of the sky. And listen, a wave comes in and slides back out. Breathe with it, in as the water rises. Out, as it pulls away. Nobody has ever counted the waves, they just keep coming. When the tide goes out, it leaves things on the sand, shells, stones, things that were hidden under the water. Some days feel like that. The water pulls back and everything you'd rather not look at is sitting right there. The things you did, the things that were done to you, the days you lost. You don't have to look away from them right now. Just notice them, and notice this too. The tide always comes back. A long time ago, a man sat in the ruins of his city and wrote this, "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassion never failed. They are new every morning, the great is your faithfulness." He wrote that from the rubble. Put on a good day, new every morning, not when you've earned it, not when you've fixed yourself up, and every morning, including this one. Take a breath. If there's something you want to say to God, say it now, out loud, or in your head, it doesn't have to sound right. If you don't have the words, just listen to the water. The water will come back in tomorrow, and the day after that, so will his mercy. Take one more slow breath, and when you're ready, open your eyes.

A man. A man.