Attempting to complete finals and late papers, I strained through the night on caffeine, waging war on my circadian rhythm. When dawn broke I was spent and exhausted, a little loopy, sure, but exhausted.

Night: a darkness; a stillness. Blossoms enclose, warmth hides its face, silence embraces the land. Night. To the pragmatic mind, what could be a greater waste? Billions of potential workers spending billions of seconds unproductive.

We stay up later and later only to wake up earlier and earlier. We battle this inconvenience with energy drinks, coffee, and whatever other weapons we can forge, straining ourselves to fight back the stillness. But stillness, rest, regeneration, it refines us, restores us, and seems to make the dawn approach quicker.

May we learn from this.

In our lives, and in our struggles for the kingdom, we hope to the dawn: those dreams that sparkle our eyes like stars. Yet we’re up in countless moments to run underneath the heavens to but gaze at a dark horizon: and the night never seems to end. We strain beyond exhaustion to daze among the brightness. In our rush in the night we haze who we are.

The night was given us for rest, stillness, quiet; to cultivate patience, tenacity, longsuffering, hope. It isn’t an inconvenience, but enables us to be our daylight selves.

We have many challenges before us, and many dreams of beauty just over the horizon, but the night has its purpose. So as the stars glimmer upon snowfallen saplings, remember to rest. Be present. Let warmth rise when it may; embrace beauty; dream; and know it will rise, know it will rise: in time.


Author's bio:

Jason Vates is an English major at Spring Arbor University. He is the founder of SAU's environmental club, Earth Shepherd, which recently partnered with the school to implement campus recycling. Captivated by little ants and looming mountains, Jason has sought God's beauty in the wilderness from a young age. Currently living in Spring Arbor, Michigan, Jason can often be found painting, rollerblading, hiking, or sipping tea over a good book.

Jason is a member of Renewal's Student Leadership Team.