People commend me for giving up a life of comfort and security in Europe for one of constant giving as a Christian volunteer in Africa. “That’s so noble!” “You must be a saint!” “I could never do what you do.” Sometimes I wonder if these well-meaning people realize that I’m just as vulnerable to feelings of discouragement and frustration as they are. With so much to do and so few others doing the work I’ve been called to do, the task can be daunting.

Recently I was preoccupied with problems when an old familiar song started playing in the background. Eventually the lyrics broke through my melancholic introspection.

Morning has broken like the first morning;
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,
Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word. 

I’m sure these lyrics have been interpreted in many ways by the millions of people who have heard and sung them since Eleanor Farjeon wrote them in 1930 and Cat Stevens set them to a new tune in 1970, but they stirred a fresh thought in me. Imagine the first morning that God created—a morning of peace and hope, free from stress, frustration, and deadlines. That sounds so amazing! Then I was reminded of a promise from the Bible: “The Lord’s mercies are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23).

The truth was, morning had broken like the first morning. The first rays of sunlight over the horizon had greeted me with that same peace and hope, but it was up to me to savor it. Would I welcome it with praise? Would I stop to hear the blackbird’s song?

The song concludes with this:

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning,
Born of the one light Eden saw play.
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God’s re-creation of the new day. 

My previous feelings of frustration and discouragement dissipated as the thought hit home again. Morning had broken! It was mine! I looked at the beauty that surrounded me and realized that I was part of God’s beautiful new day!

Rima Parker

The other evening I was riding home after a heavy day’s work. I felt very weary and depressed, when swiftly and suddenly that text came to me, “My [Jesus’] grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV).

I said, “I should think it is, Lord,” and burst out laughing. It seemed to make unbelief so absurd.

It was as though some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and Father Thames said, “Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.”

Again, I imagined a man away up yonder, in a lofty mountain, saying to himself, “I breathe so many cubic feet of air every year, I fear I shall exhaust the oxygen in the atmosphere.” But the earth might say, “Breathe away, O man, and fill thy lungs.

My atmosphere is sufficient for thee.”

Be great believers! Little faith will bring your souls to Heaven, but great faith will bring Heaven to your souls.