SUNRISE REFLECTIONS
On this early morning, I struggle to look at the sun directly—it’s powerful. Even after closing my eyes, I can still see the brilliant, intense light.
With my eyes closed, I can feel its energy as it warms my body and lifts my spirit. With my eyes open, I see the impact of the sun—His brilliant creation.
Even the shadows, now more clearly revealed, diminish and no longer consume my attention. There is nothing that doesn’t feel its impact. Even what lies unseen in the shadows and beneath the ground cannot deny the impact of the sun.
Oh, what a sunrise!
Yet, as my eyes focus on the traffic racing by—rushing to calm their busyness—it seems many take the sunrise for granted, not slowing to be amazed at what the sun is doing.
Though it is fall and winter is coming, I know the sun’s ability to shed light does not diminish even in the coldest months. The shadows may be different, but that just adds to the wonder of its energy. My experience tells me that whatever the season, shadows are always present.
The great thing is, I get to experience the sun every morning.
When I travel, its energy is still present. Some of the shadows are different from the ones I experience from my morning quiet place. However, it’s the same sun.
Even when clouds hide its face—as they did yesterday, when it was hard to feel the sun’s warmth—I knew it was still there. I could see the dimmed impacts of its brilliance. The edges of the shadows were distorted by the clouds, making them hard to distinguish. My spirit felt heavy, and I longed to see the sun fully.
Not till later in the day, when the clouds started to move off, did I see blue sky—and what I saw was amazing! No camera could do it justice. It was one of the most spectacular sunsets—colors beyond description. The presence of the clouds did not detract from the sunset; in fact, the sun used them to add to its hues of orange, red, and gold. I could do nothing else but stop and take it all in—aware of nothing but the sun.
Even at night, the darkest part of the day, I can see the impact of light as I stand in awe, looking upward to the northern lights as they continually move and change color. As I watched them dance, it came to my mind that I could only experience their beauty in the darkness.
There are times I have missed seeing them—not because they weren’t brilliant, but because my eyes were too focused on my own journey. The sad reality is that during those times, all I had to do was stop, stand still, and look up.
I recently witnessed a full harvest moon—vast and bright, its crater-scared surface clear to the naked eye. It amazes me that a moon that bright can reveal shadows. To think, the sun’s brilliance is so great that even its reflection bears its power.
I pause and wonder why my spirit is becoming lighter in the darkest of nights, when there are no dancing northern lights or even a glimpse of the moon. It’s because, in those darkest times, I have faith and anticipation in the sunrise. This faith is being refined through all of the previous dark cloud-covered experiences. When the clouds come in the future—which I know too well will—I will remind myself to adjust my eyes. Even though my spirit is weak and heavy, I can seek and find the solid foundation in the faith and anticipation of the sunrise.
“Is there any place I can go to avoid your Spirit? To be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I flew on mornings wings to the far western horizon, you’d find me in a minute – you’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night, I’m immersed in the light!” it’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.” Psalm 139:7-12 MSG
As I reflect, I realize that some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets occur when clouds are present.
It is hard, if not impossible, for me to imagine my day and night without the sun.
Where do I fit if I want to be more than a bystander?
I cannot be the sun. However, I can be the moon for others.
The moon sheds light simply by its presence. Even the faintest crescent illuminates the darkness for someone, somewhere.
It takes nothing special for the moon to do this—it only needs to be what it was created to be: the moon, faithfully reflecting the sun.