A Voice in the Darkness

I love this tree! I walk past it every weekday morning as I enter school. During the winter months it's often been dark as I arrive. Dark and quiet. I (usually) get to school before the students do and the short walk from the parking lot to the side door is quiet. And then I reach this tree - right outside the school door. It looks completely empty. But then I hear a burst of song from the birds nestled among the branches. Sometimes its a lone voice and other times a chorus of birds. But every morning they sing their praise for a new day. I often try to catch a glimpse of these feathered friends, but I never do. They are tucked away, safe from the winter winds, in their apartment-like tree. But I know they're there, praising God in the darkness of the early winter morning. Their song brings a message of hope - daylight will come; everything is all right - God is in control of this day. What a gift to begin my day. I smile as I open the school door, ready to greet my second graders. May I be a voice in the darkness of this world, sharing the hope we have through Christ.