Embrace the promise

In the stillness of the early morning, when the world is bathed in the softest shades of dawn, a solitary bird glides upon the surface of Pancharevo. The waters, dark and mysterious, mirror the sky's first light. The lake is vast, its depths intimidating,  threatening, as much as the challenges we face in our lives as our existence moves through the vastness of time.

As the bird gazes out across the waters, a quiet resolve emerges from within its chest. It knows, as if by divine instinct, that beyond the shadows of the lake lies the pledge of a new day, a new beginning. The bird spreads its wings, feeling the weight of the night’s darkness, the cold grip of uncertainty, but also the gentle touch of the morning’s aurora.

In that moment, the promise from Isaiah echoes in the silence: "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." As the bird prepares to rise, its whole being quivers in expectation, reminding us that true strength is not born from a life free of struggle, but from the hope that resides within each one of us, a gift by the Almighty.

With a powerful thrust, the bird takes flight, rising above the lake's surface. Its wings cut through the morning mist, each beat pushing it higher, away from the dark waters below. The lake, once daunting, now seems small from above, its depths no longer a threat, but a memory of the trials overcome. The bird takes to the skies, its path guided by the light that begins to break through the horizon and in its ascent, the bird becomes a living testament to the covenant  of renewal.

The unremitting promise of God is inviting us to claim it with courage and as fierce as a lighting’s strike, unfurl our wings like the bird did in that almost Siberian morning. For those who place their hope in the Lord, no struggle is too great, no night too dark. Like the bird, they will find the strength to rise, to soar on wings of faith. They will ascertain that beyond every struggle lies the dawn of a new opportunity, a new day, in which the everlasting light of Jesus will shine upon them forevermore, until the end of time.