Sunrise In A Cemetery

     One of the best things about Wintertime is that you can sleep in and still be up in time to watch the sunrise. That is just what I did this morning. I stood outside in the cold, quiet, and peaceful air and watched the beauty of God’s creation appear over the mountaintops. It was such a glorious sight. I stood there and saw the red clouds change to pink then purple and then yellow.  I looked down on the snowy ground and watched it sparkle with joy in the morning sun. I breathed in deep and smiled. I could feel the love of God all around me and even though it was way below freezing I still felt warm inside.
     The writer Robert Fulghum once quoted a great piece of advice given to a friend of his. It was to "Spend one hour some Sunday watching the sunrise while walking in a cemetery." Since I have a cemetery next to my backyard I decided to follow this advice myself today. Watching the sunshine glistening off the gravestones quickly put everything in perspective for me. I realized that like my quiet neighbors one day my body was going to be in the ground somewhere and that this beautiful world was going to keep going right on without me. I saw too that if I was going to live then I needed to live now and that if I was going to love then I needed to love today.
     God only gives us so many days here on Earth. It is up to us to make them count. Don’t wait until you are six feet underground to watch the sun come up. Get out there and watch the sunrise today. Don’t wait until you are on your deathbed to tell people how much you love them. Tell them today. Don’t wait until you can no longer lift your arms to hug someone. Hug them today.  Don’t wait in a box until six people carry you out in a box. Break out of your box today. Don’t keep waiting for the world to change until you are no longer a part of it. Change your world today. Choose love, share joy, and help God to make this world a better place today and forever.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~

[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella (joecool@wirefire.com) -- {used with permission} ]