Misty Mornings: day 2

There's a coolness and stillness to the mornings here.  Most days, the sun streams down gently to both create and reveal a sparkling landscape.  One doesn't necessarily see the sparkle, unless time is taken to bend down, lean over.

 But you see the mists as they curl along and twist up from fence posts.  Many days, early in the morning, the dew drips from the porch roof like a gentle rain.

There's a reason they're called the Smoky Mountains.  The effect is both peaceful and mysterious, and holds a cleansing property.  At the start of a new day, I appreciate such a tangible reminder that I am cleansed, and that I have a fresh start.

"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

When we first arrived here, I didn't like the misty mornings. Fresh from the West, I much prefer stark clarity, crispness.  These are the qualities that go hand-in-hand with the "Bluebird Sky" days, which I love and crave.  So, to me, fog means inclement weather.  It means a gray day with low-lying clouds, and those days can stretch into weeks from whence we hail! 

But I've learned something since being in Tennessee.  We can have, and often do have, both mists and clarity in the same day.  I don't have to freak out when I see fog.  Now, I much prefer crystal-clear skies; I feel more energized, more joyful.  It's easy to give thanks.  But when my vision is impeded, when the mists roll in or even thick fog, I'm humbly reminded of Who I need to make it through.  I'm reminded of the cleansing I need on a daily basis.  You know what?  Having such a start to the day makes the times of clarity feel even sweeter. 

Within a few hours it's gone, and it leaves behind a feeling a freshness.  The tranquility of this sheer curtain gives way to the brightness of day.  It's a lovely way to begin a morning in the South.

Click on this button to check out the other posts in this series.