As has been our custom, Rutendo and I go for an early morning walk around the track. Today was special. We witnessed the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen. In front of the cruise ship was a true portrait of the heavens. The sun was about to break forth over the eastern horizon. Fluffy orange and yellow clouds floated just above the horizon. The shape of the clouds was as if God’s hand had stroked gently with a cosmic brush across the great canvas of the sky. 
As the cruise ship sailed more, I watched as the big orange ball begin to ascend so ever gracefully. The ascension was slow, as if the earth was grasping and holding onto the big orange ball about to float into the atmosphere. Some clouds streaked across the bottom half of the big orange ball, partially covering it.  

Soon, the clouds parted, making way for the sun to rise majestically. Behold, a big orange ball hovered at the edge of the horizon and the sky. It announced the dawn of a new day. A day of new opportunities. A day of new mercies.  
God is good. He paints a portrait of His new mercies every morning. In my hurried and busy life, I rarely stop to reflect on His goodness. I praise God I am on this study tour. I praise God, I received a great blessing watching the rising of the sun – the arrival of a new day. I was reminded of Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”