Ready
Dwight and I watched the sun dip low and lower over the horizon, splashing the most amazing vibrant color-streaks over the clouds and rolling ocean.
Turning, we saw swatches of pink, orange, and yellow transform our resort’s wall of windows into a sparkling watercolor mural.
“This sunset is perfection from every direction,” I said. “We should have brought our cameras.” In our eagerness to laugh and splash in the ocean, we left them in the room. We probably figured we’d have other nights for perfect sunset pictures. We figured wrong.
Set
Over our next three nights in Clearwater Beach, each subsequent sunset paled in comparison to the first one.
“No regrets,” said Dwight. “We’ll just have to save our experience in our minds.”
So as the sun swooned like a swollen ball of fire, we joyfully entered the moment, even as we snapped what I considered second-class photos. They weren’t as magnificent as the first, but they still oozed beauty, pointing to our Creator and what He might say to us.
We talked about the speediness of the sun’s cycles and how they resembled our lives. We kick sand for but a blip before we kick the dust. And in a sense, we never fully disappear. When the Son of God swoons down to lift us to His eternal glory-shores, we may not be seen anymore from the earth’s perspective, but we exist on the other side of the horizon, more alive and glowing than ever.
Go
Seeing the sun descend so quickly reminded me how we need to seize the day. Love well. Choose joy. And do it all in Christ’s Name. For Him. Unashamed. Living loud. Laughing hard. Always conscious of God’s presence above our own.
How can I make every moment count without feeling stressed about the brevity of the moment? I’m still trying to figure that one out. Perhaps the answer lies in learning to abide in the Son, feel His brightness, absorb His perfection, and realize I’m on His sacred mission. Not my own.
You
Friend, I pray you’ll see yourself as His perfect masterpiece. Your Artist is ravished by your beauty. You are His eternal sunset.
Ask Him for whatever you need, and He’ll give it to you. Delight yourself in Him, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Against all odds, I asked God that my husband would be sent on a business trip to Clearwater Beach, and God answered! In His goodness, God gave me a chance to use my air-miles and stay with Dwight for free at the SandPearl Resort.
I asked for an opportunity to share my book Rush of Heaven with people, and God gave me opportunities left and right.
One young waitress lost all composure and cried when I gave her a copy.
“You’re a Christian author?” She hugged me, then she hugged the book, cradling it to her chest. “I can’t believe it. I need to call my mom and tell her about this!”
God loves to make us smile.
He answered another prayer and allowed Zondervan to update the Kindle version of Rush of Heaven with photos. I like to share deals with my friends, so I’m happy to tell you the Kindle version is on sale at Amazon for just $2.99 until the end of September.
Please let me know what’s happening in your life too, ok? I love hearing from you!
Prayers appreciated as I work on my new book, Josiah’s Fire. Thank you and God bless.
Your friend,
Cheryl Ricker