A Heart Inclined to Welcome a New Day
Hello friend,
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23
These words from Lamentations might have felt easy to believe in seasons when life felt bright. But, when you're in the grip of seasonal depression, even God's promises might feel distant.
And yet, those mercies are still new every morning. Not some mornings. Not the mornings when you feel up to it. Every. Single. Morning.
There is a particular grace in the beginning of your day; any day, even the hard ones, with the acknowledgment that you're being offered something fresh. You don't have to carry yesterday's heaviness into today. You don't have to earn the gift of new mercies. They come whether you notice them or not.
This doesn't mean forcing yourself to feel cheerful or grateful when you don't. Seasonal depression is real, and some mornings your heart might not feel inclined to welcome anything. That's honest and that's okay. But what if, even on those mornings, you could pause for just a moment and acknowledge the gift? It's not to fix your mood, but to notice that it's there.
A new day brings a new chance. New light. New breath in your lungs. New opportunities to rest, to be gentle with yourself, to ask for help, to stay small and quiet if that's what you need. The mercies don't depend on your circumstances changing overnight. They are...just there.
You might whisper it while still in bed, or think it as your feet touch the floor. You might not feel it fully, and that's okay too. The steadfast love of the Lord isn't dependent on your feelings. It's there whether you feel it or not.
What if you approached each morning, such as this one, and the next one, and the one after that, as a gift you didn't have to earn? And, it's not because you had to do something to deserve it, but because it's offered freely. That alone might change something small, but important about how you meet the day.
Inclining your heart to a new day might be thinking of just a few simple and quiet words of acknowledgement; just giving a little thank you for waking up and breathing a few deep breaths. Realizing that you matter more than you might think, your presence in this world carries weight and value, even on the days when it is hard to feel it.
Take today slowly and be gentle with yourself. Sharing common ground with you, Jeanine
