New Every Morning

I find myself waking earlier and earlier, racing to see how my blog is doing. It is like a living creature, growing and stretching to life. Yesterday I doubled my followers.... from 1 to 2. Praise God! This morning I had more than tripled my devoted audience! I now have 7 beautiful followers, gifts from God to encourage my soul!
My father had sent an email that said that he had just read a quote by a philosopher that "No one can enter the same river twice."
That is true. I thought about that. I am reading a scathing classic satire, Main Street, by Sinclair Lewis. Lewis, who led an unhappy, dissipated life himself, presents a "heroine" who is never satisfied, sees only ugliness and pettiness and narrow mindedness in the little town she is in, and is forever unhappy. She knows that somewhere there is beauty and culture and experiences worth embracing, but not in Gopher Prarie where she lives. I love Lewis' writing and am reading it because it was acclaimed to be a novel that resonated with millions, an instant best seller, and true for so many small towns in America.
I find myself rebelling against his message, and could not quite figure out why. I know narrow mindedness does exist, and ugly towns with no desire to change.... and agree both are repugnant. However, I think Lewis' personal unhappiness, and his "heroine" Carol's chronic disatisfaction stem from a faulty presumption. Everywhere except where they are holds promise for them. Every novel experience is "good" while the sameness and routine is bad. Carol's party games, because they are different, show culture and zest for life, while the town's repeatedly same games are dull and show death of spirit.
However, what if Lewis instead recognized that every time he stepped in a river, new waters from exotic lands were swirling around his ankles? I kept wondering if instead of making fun of the town and its unchanging faith, Lewis and his protagonist Carol had embraced it, perhaps they would not have had to face such dismay and seeking happiness in such temporal, ultimately destructive ways.
So on this sunny cold Sunday morning, with joy I am meditating on the verse, "His mercies are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23. Wonderful juxtaposition of the newness of life each day and the steadfast, daily faithfulness of God.