Have you ever traveled down a road one way and noticed that things looked very different when you come back from another direction? Sometimes, when we change our routine, our world opens up a little more, and we see from a different perspective.

This time of year, I have a morning routine that seldom changes. I leave the window by my bed open just a little to hear the dawn chorus that starts in late April to early June. Our backyard fills up with all kinds of birds. Their beautiful chorus sometimes begins as early as 4:30 AM.

I listen until just before daylight and then get up, make coffee, wrap up in something warm and sit in my back yard to watch as they all come together to meet and greet each other around our bird feeders.

Sometimes, a couple of deer sit at the top of the hill and watch the birds with me. However, recently I’ve noticed they’ve been focusing on our blueberry bushes.

While tackling spring cleaning chores this week, I decided it was time to take the drapes down and order some new ones for the living room windows. The window has been bare for a few weeks, and I have been awed by the park’s beautiful view across the street.

One cloudy morning as I walked through the living room toward the back door with my coffee, the beautiful blue sky caught my attention. Suddenly, a small orange-yellow ball appeared at the bottom of the trees.

I watched in amazement as it began to make its way upward through the trees. When it got to the top, it slipped behind the clouds. Then the light started to wink in and out of the clouds until it popped out on top in its full glory. It was a spectacular sunrise.

In the front yard, the mallard ducks flew back and forth, quacking as they soared through the bright rays of sunshine. A small wren was sitting on the power lines watching the sun with me. After it had risen, it flapped its small wings towards the light.

I often watch the sunset in our back yard, but I had never seen the sunrise through our living room window because of the drapes and sheers behind them.

While I sat gazing, I saw a young woman walk into our yard. I went to the door and asked her if I could help her. She said no and walked down the road. She looked troubled. When she left, I thought I should have said more.

After we got ready for church, I started pruning some flowers on the porch while waiting for my husband. I looked and saw her walking up to my driveway. After I greeted her, I asked if she was alright. She said no and broke down in tears.

We talked for a while, and I asked her if she would like to join us for church. She didn’t hesitate to say yes. And, at that moment, I knew it wasn’t by chance that I had taken the drapes down earlier.

She needed someone, and I wouldn’t have seen her if I had been in the backyard. It is incredible what a change of position can show us.

I asked her after church what made her decide to come back to our house. She said it was the Thank You, Jesus sign standing in our garden. “I knew this would be a good place to come for help.”

Sometimes we need to change our view, look at things, people, or situations from another angle. We may see beautiful things we’ve never seen before, like a beautiful sunrise or a person who needs us.