I am a strong believer in having a purpose for everything that we as people, or in this case why I choose to say or do the things that we/I say or do. Life is about purpose and we either choose to live with purpose or die on purpose. When it comes down to the talk of “religion” and why Jesus? There are many reasons as to why in my life I chose to choose Jesus, but this morning I was reminded of why I choose Jesus every single day. But first, let me guide you through my morning in order to arrive at the “why Jesus moment.”

This morning, like many mornings I woke up around 6:00 AM in order to be up before others and have a moment of silence to mentally rest with my God and take my morning nice and slow. Soon after I awoke, I left my bed to go shower and start getting ready for my day. While attempting to leave “The Swamp” (guys apartment), my laundry bag string got caught on my bike’s tire only to have an opportunity to begin my morning with anger and disappointment. Good news, it did not work! After a few minutes of untying and loosening the knot that came to be from the bike riding with the string stuck I was able to free it up and ride down to the marina where I usually spend my days on the Next Wave Ship.

Now that I was able to inform you about my morning only to help you arrive at this point, let me inform you as to why I choose Jesus. I constantly choose Jesus every day of my life, and every moment of every day because of this… Being able to stand on the boat, look across the sea toward Turkey, and watch this enormous shining ball of gas that we call the sun, rise over the silhouette of the tree-filled mountains of Asia (Turkey) that God has given me as a view during my time here on Lesvos.

The sunrise: my creator’s ways of saying “good morning.” A spectacle, and simply a show of creativity in God’s gallery of art called the earth. There is a showing every morning but the act is never the same. From the perfect combinations of reds, yellows, and orange to the staggering reflection off the still waters known as the Mediterranean, this is My God! The Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Painting a picture just for the small opportunity that I might notice Him. The clouds slowly sweeping across the sky as the birds move across the scene soaring both low and soaring high. It’s a picture unable to be captured. No photograph, painting, or image can capture the true beauty of a single sunrise, because it’s all about that one moment, that one moment that you cannot allow to pass you by. It is in that moment that makes you feel as if you can be still for a thousand years. And it’s in that moment that My God created, just to be alongside me and bring out the joy through tears.

So why do I follow Jesus? Well, simply put: He seeks after me.

 

“From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”

Psalm 113:3

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you…” Psalm 143:8

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”

Psalm 19:1

“As surely as the sun rises, he will appear.“

Hosea 6:3

“Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.”

Ecclesiastes 11:7

“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.”

Psalm 65:8

His mercies are new every morning.

Lamentations 3:23

For a time-lapse of the sunrise check out my Instagram post @qchristopher