
Driving long distances can be grueling at times. This particular evening, the girls were contently settled in the back seat- watching Star Wars in our mini van as my husband drove us home. My mind drifts off… thinking of millions of things- like what’s the meaning of life and all that deep kind of stuff. My husband tells me I have to talk to him to keep him awake. So, naturally, I mention the peculiar looking clouds.

As I discuss the conditions of the sky, my husband reminds me, “You know, it’s the first day of summer- the longest day of the year.”
“Oh, that’s right! That means even more time for sunset watching!” And we watched as the clouds rolled in. The sun shone through them ever so slightly, giving way to little beams of light shooting up through the sky. I mused about how hard it must be to be a “real” photographer… waiting and hoping for the perfect sunset shot…(go ahead- try to say sunset shot 3 times fast…)

My hubby kept saying we’d never see it because of the dense trees that lined the highway, but I refused to put away my phone and its camera. Waiting…expecting it to happen… At every turn of the highway, I was hoping for a better view… Even as we waited for a clearing in the trees, we talked about how beautiful it must be- despite not being able to fully see it. It never failed- as soon as a clearing came, the road would curve and the sun-glittered clouds were hidden again.
One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27
When we earnestly seek Him, He is faithful to show us His goodness- through His daily presence in our lives. Even though sometimes we may fail to see His beauty in front of us, we know He is still there-working ALL things together for good. As I watched the sky, I thought about how odd it was over the past week, many of the evening skies were crystal blue-without a cloud in sight. When evening came, without the clouds- the sunset was anti-climactic.
Each cloud makes the sky even more beautiful at sunset. The same is true in our lives- without the clouds, we would not know how sweet the sunshine is.
And as we continued to drive, we began to see the vibrant colors of the sky changing. We conversed about God, His creation, and all things bright and beautiful while the straight and narrow road lead us right into the setting sun.
And there it was. Right smack in the middle of the sky. I told my husband we were Sunset Chasers that night. The evening sky was beautiful- but it didn’t compare to the fellowship we had together in the car. When we anticipate His goodness, He is always faithful.
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him Lamentations 3:25
And you know what the best part of the evening was? Instead of talking about how long the drive was and how tired we were, we spent time in worship. Keeping our eyes firmly fixed on the open road in front of us- with a front-row seat to His magnificent painting.
Beautiful photos! “The same is true in our lives- without the clouds, we would not know how sweet the sunshine is.” Loved this statement. It is so true. It is during the tough times that we find ourselves turning to the Lord the most and our faith growing by leaps and bounds. Be blessed today and find a way to bless someone else.
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Thank you so much for your encouragement, Shelly! I pray you have a blessed day as well!
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The pictures are so amazing!
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I was surprised they turned out so clear since I took them from inside the van!
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Beautiful photos and a beautiful story! I’m sure your kids will grow up with great memories of this kind of thing…
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Thank you! I hope they will grow up appreciating the little things- like sunsets 🙂 Blessings to you!
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Lovely lovely lovely!!!! 🙂
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Why, thank you my friend 🙂 He has a lovely way of painting the sky for us, doesn’t He!
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Yes indeed!!
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Great message and wonderful pics Julie. 😀
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Thank you. He sure gives us a lot of wonderfully beautiful things to take photos of, doesn’t He? Blessings to you!
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You got me “sunshet sot” …. Lol
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Lol! It is quite challenging to say, isn’t it? Thanks for laughing with me 🙂
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Lovely words and photos!
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I think that must haven one of the best trips ever then, right?!! Spectacular!!
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