It is springtime in America! And by America, I mostly mean Clemson and also my mind. All I can think about is that it's springtime and every time the wind blows it smells like clovers and the clouds look so picturesque, kind of like the wallpaper in Andy's room in Toy Story. The sky is so blue and the clouds are so perfect and puffy and I want to eat them.
Today was particularly like this. The best way to explain today is expressed through my favorite literary character ever, Anne Shirley: "'What a splendid day!' said Anne, drawing a long breath. 'Isn't it good just to be alive on a day like this? I pity the people who aren't born yet for missing it. They may have good days, of course, but they can never have this one.'"
There was nothing specifically exciting about today, just that it was warm and pretty outside and I got to do fun things and enjoy my day because no school! And recently I've just had time to enjoy things a little more. I have loved it. I've been reunited with friends who I've missed so much (and so much more reuniting is to come!) and also had to say goodbye to new friends who are graduating but I'm not thinking about that because it's too sad.
But the other night I had a sleepover with my most delicious friend ever, and for breakfast in the morning we ate oranges and cookies and other borderline healthy things, then sat out on her porch eating banana popsicles. I love banana popsicles. Love. It was so much goodness. My heart was swelling with happiness because banana popsicles + pretty weather + my delicious friend + morning = bliss.
And then I remembered how much I love and enjoy mornings. I've just been so busy recently with school and when I'm awake in the mornings it's only because I have class and I'm cooped up inside half-asleep. But Tuesday morning I was able to thoroughly savor. I was wearing striped pajama pants and my giggle muffin t-shirt and no shoes (being barefooted is my favorite thing ever) and eating a banana popsicle with my delicious friend and I could not imagine anywhere else I would rather be.
I had dinner with another dear friend tonight, and she said to me that she had been thinking about how God's mercies are new every morning. And then thinking about Tuesday morning just made me think about it more.
Lamentations 3:22-23 - Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Tomorrow is Clemson's graduation. Tomorrow God's mercies will be new. On the morning of the day I graduate from college His mercies will just be as new and on the morning of the day I get married His mercies will be just as new and on the morning of the day I die, His mercies will be just as new as they were this morning, yesterday morning, the morning of the first day of last semester, and the morning of the first day that was ever in existence.
Without God's love, without His daily mercies, we would be consumed. Consumed is different than nibbled on or having just a bite taken out of. Consumed is eaten entirely, bones and all. His compassions never fail.
Great is His faithfulness! You guys. Listen and engage and think about this. We sin a lot. A lot a lot. Sometimes even on purpose because it's no fun to love mean/annoying people so we just avoid them and that is not love. But even after we do that, God makes the conscious and aware decision to continue loving us, on purpose, because He wants to.
So even on the mornings when it's chilly-chilly, or it's raining, or you didn't sleep at all the night before, this is just as true. God's mercies are not dependent on the weather of each particular morning.
Every morning. When you wake up already sleepy, when it's happy outside, when you have a big presentation to give or test to take, His mercies are the same amount of new as before. Whether you like it or not, whether you ask for it or not, it's there.
Also I read today that the cross was harder for Jesus than it could have been for any of us. I had never thought about this before, but the author of this book pointed out that Jesus was the Son of God, and wasn't accustomed to being tempted to sin and had never been anything but the one and only Son of God, His right hand. We're used to having sinful natures, but He isn't. So for Him to go through all of that, to go from privileged royalty to the lowest it is possible to go and to Hell was so so hard for Him. He experienced being forsaken by God, being completely alone, a feeling that we will never have to feel. It was more painful than it would have been for us and He did it because He wanted to. Because He loves you. On purpose.
So when you woke up this morning, God had brought all of these new mercies into the world, and there is no limit on them. There are enough mercies for everyone in the world at every second and every minute and every hour and every encounter with a person and every decision to do what you shouldn't. God has the incredible patience and dedication to do this for you, even though you don't always think about it or acknowledge it or thank Him for it.
So now you have a reason to enjoy your mornings even more than you did before. While you're having your breakfast (even if it's inside at the kitchen table and you're eating something less exciting than banana popsicles), consider this, that His mercies are new. Not reduced or reused or recycled, but brand spanking new. Not a hand-me-down, but shiny with a red bow. Each and every one of them.
Love,
Lauralicious
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