The sun rises every morning. Some days we notice and other days we pay it no mind. Still it rises. Our strength is also called to rise like the day – offered time and again, even when it’s not noticed.
Photo by Harli Marten on Unsplash
We know our strength is needed to bring more life and goodness into the world. But it’s hard to keep showing up when all our efforts seem to go unnoticed and not appreciated.
We are tempted to give ourselves only when our efforts are respected.
But we grow in maturity by learning to offer the best of ourselves regardless of the circumstances, or if anyone even notices.
Like the sun and the waves, we rise a thousand times, and then a thousand times again.
A thousand times we say I love you, with our words and more so with our actions. And then we say it again.
A thousand times we listen and we serve. We provide a shoulder to cry on, a tender hug to comfort, and countless hours of work to meet our basic needs. And then we do so again.
A thousand times we sacrifice – freely giving up our preferences and our privileges for the good of the other. And then we lay them down again.
Like the day – we rise time and time and time again.
Some days this is acknowledged and affirmed, which certainly motivates us to keep going.
But many other days our efforts go unnoticed.
Even still we must rise.
This is not for others to take advantage of us, but for our strength to grow like the sun – faithfully giving of ourselves whether we are noticed or not.
Don’t grow weary in doing what is good. Rise like the day, and do it a thousand times again.
