It’s 4 a.m.

It’s 4 a.m.

So why is my brain swirling?!?

The world rests in stillness,

but my heartbeat quickens,

and my mind wanders down a path of fear

as the weight of the night presses in.

Worry keeps the mind awake.

Sorrow lingers in the shadowns.

This is the ache of being human

in a world both wondrous and wearying.

But even in this quiet hour,

we can breathe deep.

Slowly.

Letting peace settle into every tired muscle.

We can breathe deep. Again and again.

Steady as the stars.

We breathe in hope, deep as the night.

And breathe out fear that clenches tight.

We breathe in trust in the One who set the stars in motion and tells the ocean where to stop.

And breathe out our illusions of power or control.

And then we love wide….

Even in these small hours,

letting kindness fill the marrow of my being.

Letting tenderness soften the edges of this world.

Letting hope rise…

Morning is coming.

My heart joins the Psalmist’s song:

“Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

There is no need to solve every trouble before sunrise.

For now, there is breath,

and gift of this moment,

and the grace of love,

wide enough to hold it all.