Genesis 1:5b
And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.
Do you ever see something so many times that it starts to blend in with the surroundings? Perhaps you can relate more to watching the same re-runs on TV or the same DVD for the 
umpteenth time until your mind goes in neutral and the sigts and sounds become a blurry waste of time. Sometimes it is the familiar that holds jewels which can be lost in the common. Recently, I mined a jewel out of the common chapter of Genesis 1. First, though, some background.
Back in 2003, our family lost our mother and brother within 20 days of each other. My mother had a brain aneurysm the Friday night after Thanksgiving and passed away in the early morning hours of December 1. My brother went into the hospital the afternoon that same day, eventually went to be with the Lord on December 21, and we buried him on Christmas Eve. Needless to say, this is typically a hard time of year for us, but this year has been especially tough because, for the first time since they died, the days match the dates, and it can feel like we’re reliving the worst month we ever experienced. Okay, now to the jewel.
As I stood in worship Sunday, my mind was racing with thoughts abut Mom and Stephen and all that had happened in 2003. As I searched the scriptures for the promise of joy coming in the morning, I ran across the verse above in Genesis 1. It was something I’ve read many, many times, but on this day, I noticed something shimmering which I don’t think I’d ever seen before: the order of the day was wrong. We measure a day by morning, then evening, but here God was measuring it by evening, then morning.
What’s the big deal, right? Simply this: we have been brainwashed by our culture to believe that all the good things in life come first and then you die. Youth, energy, love come early and then we endure the late stages and hold on until the end. Don’t believe me? Watch a 20-something turn 30 and see the anguish on his or her face as they believe they’ve gotten "old." Man’s measurement says light then darkness makes a day. But not God. God says that His light gets the closing act.
Pain is a part of living, there’s no denying that. But pain does not define us. It is not the end of the story or the stamp on a day. You may be in a dark situation and hurting this holiday season, but God says that the day is only half over! Joy, compassion, expectation, and light all come with the morning (and fresh-brewed coffee, too!). Your day is not done until the sun rises and brings with it all the promise of a new beginning.
There was evening, yes. Many of us have experienced the dark times. But the great news is that there will be morning on this day, too, and I pray you see the sun begin to shine soon.
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