Kim Wilbanks

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,the name of the Lord is to be praised.  Psalm 113:3 (NIV)

I love being at the beach!  One of my favorite pastimes is watching a sunset.  Each evening, people linger on the beach, or make their way back down to the shore, to participate in the daily ritual of watching the giant fiery orb we call the sun dip into the sea.  It is something I never get tired of witnessing and I have the pictures to attest to it!

I have noticed something interesting about sunsets. Sometimes the day has been bright and sunny with hardly a cloud in the sky.  Those sunsets are pretty and draw cheers from people at the restaurant down the  beach. 

Then there are gray, overcast days when we are cheated of a spectacular show because the sun has set behind distant clouds or haze; kind of ho-hum. 

But, the sunsets that thrill my heart, bring tears to my eyes, and cause me to feel I’m in the very presence of the Creator are the sunsets on a stormy day.  The sun’s light reflects on the dark clouds and creates a magnificent display of color.  These sunsets seem to go on and on, getting more beautiful by the minute, until darkness finally falls.

This may be a stretch, but it made me think about comparing sunsets to our lives.  When things are going great, when everything is good in our life, we can reflect God’s glory and it looks good.  Sometimes we go through periods of dullness and things just seem lackluster;  we’re not really shining at all.  It is the dark stormy times in our lives when, if we allow it, God can really shine, causing those around us to pause, take notice, and recognize His glory.