"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall. God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us." -- Psalm 46
After a dark night the sun rises creating light for the world. My first name means Break of Day or Sunrise and I always said my parents gave me the wrong name because I am not a morning person. However, I have been striving to be someone who brings light in the darkness. To cheer people up when they are down. To joke around when there doesn't seem to be a reason to laugh. I spend 3.5 hours at work every day acting silly and cracking jokes because I love making the other food service workers laugh. I also know this has been a very difficult and trying time for the teachers so as they bring the kids through the line I always make sure to smile under the face mask and make silly comments. I also enjoy having as much fun with the kids. One first grader said I'm her "favorite best friend lunch lady." At home I act silly and make jokes with my kids, and my daughter usually shakes her head while calling me "weird."
As I said to a few teachers last week, the world has been crazy lately and filled with a lot of sadness so that's why it's important to find things to laugh about. There are moments when I stop and think about the things that are going on in the world. I wake up, throw on the mask and try my best to keep my distance from others and wonder if everything is going to shut down again. It's as if I wake up and relive the same day over and over since March like the movie Groundhog Day. When is all of this going to end? Am I ever going to wake up and find out that we can take off the masks and live as we once have? Then there's all this craziness with the election and I try so hard to push back that feeling of fear over the future of this country. Those are some of the things that could easily drive me crazy if I kept focused on it, so I don't keep focused on it. Instead I realize that even in the worst of times there is always something to be grateful for. My family, friends, good health and enough financial stability to get us by. First and foremost, I have a God who loves me and cares for me and will look out for me no matter how bad things seem - when I keep my mind focused on Him every problem seems so small. I don't know what I'd do without my faith in these times we are facing. He is the light through the darkness!
I once had a blog named Sunny Daze In A Stormy Haze and it was a place where I could bring some light into the dark world, or at least a part of the world wide web. So, that is why I've given this post that same name. I want to be a light to others just as God has been a light for me. Finding the positive in the midst of the negative. Celebrating the sunshine after many dark hours. I am going to be okay. We are going to be okay. This country is going to be okay. This world is going to be okay. Just as long as we keep being the light!
And now I present you with my "Sunrise on the Beach" diamond art. It took me a few weeks to complete this piece.
