Jesus of My Mornings

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore You, I love You, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer You this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.

 

          I awakened early today for my time with God. For some weeks, ever since I believe He told me to Rise early, I’ve been trying to obey Him by rising earlier than usual. Truth be told, the initial excitement over this special morning encounter had waned somewhat in the face of increasing tiredness. But I was determined to hang on. Even if I didn’t quite feel the benefits of waking up at 4:30 in the morning and trying to give God my undivided attention, I knew my God was not going to tap me on the shoulder to alert me to everything He was working within my soul.

          Secure in this awareness, I went to my morning devotions today. At the end of it, I prayed the prayer of the day, the Holy Heart of Jesus prayer. My heart fell into its lines, as if it were my angel praying my very needs. I had not lived the past few days well enough. I had need of reparation for sins of pride, I truly needed to humble myself. And here were the very words for my ill.

         The clock ticking, I settled some last chores. Momentarily overcome by weariness, I sat down and closed my eyes for a bit. It was going to be a long work day. I wished I didn’t have to go in. Heart of Jesus, I prayed.

          Eyes closed, before me appeared dark mountains, and a small, piercingly bright sliver of the dawn sun, slowly rising, but moving from the left to the right, from behind those dark ridges. 

          Not sure where that came from, I put it down to my imagination and firmly dismissed it.

          Heart of Jesus, I called once more.

          The same scene appeared again. This time, the sun slid swiftly to the middle of the sky. Suddenly, it  pulsed brightly, sending its light directly into my own heart, startling me.

          It is Him! I thought, stunned into realization. The Heart of Jesus truly! Come to show me it wasn’t my imagination at all. Coming when I least expected.

What is man that Thou should be mindful of him,

a son of man that Thou care for him?    ~ Psalm 8:5

          Who was I that He needed to give me this sign?

          And yet He had. He had come not just to comfort but to assure me of His presence, His faithful and patient wait in my mornings. Even if no breeze caressed my waiting spirit, no answer pressed to my questions, His holy Heart awaited me each time I came before Him. Tired or fresh, straight or bent mattered not to Him. What mattered was I not allow anything to hold me back from Him. No doubt, no weariness, nothing of this fallen world.

          And He would be there, each time.

          I sought Him once more, the Jesus of my mornings,

Heart of Jesus,

I place my heart in Yours.