It's interesting how one's perspective on daily occurrences can change over time--or even in a moment. This post is about sunsets and clouds. I don't view them in the same way as I used to.
Don't get me wrong. I have always loved sunsets and clouds, and always will. I have come to discover however, a new view--a new way of appreciating these blessings of nature.
In the past, I would be driving along and see the most beautiful sunset I had ever beheld. I would frequently do whatever it took to pull over and take a picture on my mediocre (at best) phone camera. Admittedly, I sometimes would not have an opportunity to stop, and would take the picture as I was driving (!). I would inevitably wish I had a decent camera and had it with me for moments such as these.
Then one day, it dawned on me (NPI: no pun intended). Why spend the time and effort and risk the danger of stopping in traffic to get a so-so photograph of a sunset on my phone camera that I would look back on and with contempt complain that my phone had not been able to capture the most exquisite and intricate beauties of the sunset I saw with my eyes?
Rather:
Why not--if the opportunity safely presents itself--pull over, get out of the car, and just stand and simply watch. Never-mind the people who glance at me strangely as they drive by. Soak in the beauty of it. Take in every intricacy and every hue. Marvel at the spectacular display of light that is before me. Then, get back in my car and get to where I was going.
I have since come to understand that the beauty of a sunset is not in the artistic preservation of it, but in its fleeting grandeur. Would we enjoy a sunset as much if we did not know that it would be gone within minutes? Or a cloud formation if we did not know that it would take an entirely new form at our next glance?
This new understanding has led me to think of more things. How wonderful it is that God created our eyes that can see what cameras have been trying to capture for decades? How could a God who creates such beauty NOT have a hand in our lives? Shouldn't we all just slow down a bit to appreciate these things that are all around us?
I suppose this is just one more way for me to sneak into your minds and tell you that joy comes through the simple things. So thanks for listening.
P.S. Watch the sunset tonight and smile.
