Driving back to Kentucky yesterday, I was blessed to see one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in my life. Since I was driving west at a pretty good pace, the sunset seemed to last forever. Every time I thought, "Well, there it goes. That was beautiful," I'd cross another hill or go around another bend and see a whole new array of light and beauty. The colors were breathtaking, the clouds were stunning, the sunbeams glorious and the whole display too beautiful to put into words. Even Caleb from his seat in the back stopped watching Planes long enough to look up and say, "Oooo, sky pretty!"
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| The sunset as seen in Wilmore - photo by Carol Cooper |
Sunset. It's the end. The end of the day. The final glimpse of the sun before the moon comes up and the stars come out and the night settles in across the land. But the sun so often doesn't leave quietly. It doesn't just give up and fall quietly behind the mountains and clouds. More often the sun goes down in some glorious display of light and beauty that stops us all in our tracks for a minute to say, "Oooo, sky pretty!"
Over the past few weeks my family has been on a whirlwind holiday tour of the Midwest/Mid Atlantic region of the country. We've visited family in Indiana, celebrated Christmas with friends and neighbors in Kentucky, and welcomed in the new year with friends and family in Pennsylvania. We've opened presents, given gifts, eaten delicacies, shared stories, taken pictures, played games, hugged and kissed everyone, and laughed uproariously. Oh, but that's not all. We've shed tears with hurting friends, cried with broken hearts, prayed with some whose struggles didn't know it was a holiday. We've said good-bye and our hearts hurt. We've driven away and left a piece of us behind. It wasn't all pecan pie and butter cookies... some sadness found it's way into our merrymaking. The end of the year came "laden with happiness and tears." It came to the end in much the same way that sunset did - in a glorious display of light that stopped us all in our tracks for a minute to say, "Oooo, what a beautiful year!"
That glorious sunset on the way back to Kentucky made me reflect on our past year and it's ending. It really was beautiful. It sure seemed to go on and on just like that sunset. But just like that sunset, it too has come to an end and now a new dawn, a new year awaits us. I've stopped guessing about what it will look like (last year taught me that doing that is a pretty futile exercise). I've decided to watch the sunrise and see the beauty in each moment. I know there will be clouds and dark, times of tears and sadness. I hope that by God's grace we will be able to grieve with hope in those times. I also know that there will be times of laughter and joy. I pray we are all able to fully live in those moments, not second-guessing the joy but accepting it with open arms.
I know some of you are going into this new year facing some obstacles that seem insurmountable and some hurts that seem too big to be healed. I know others are going into this year with some exciting hopes for the future and some wonderful plans for your family and your life. Regardless of whether your new year is starting bright or dim. remember this - the One who loves you most is always, always with you. He alone is the Light to illuminate the darkness and shine the way for your path. And the ending with Him is always glorious. For as he said, "Lo, I am with you always, even until the end of time." Now that's gonna be one amazing sunset!!
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