Ecclesiastes 1:5 The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries away to a place from which it rises again. NET
I love watching sunsets! I try to capture them by taking photos of them, and they never look like the real thing! It's so disappointing, as I want to have a photo to see it like I saw it! There is something about the natural phenomenon of a beautiful sunset that is not transferrable to a picture.
The colors. The way it changes the way everything else looks, too! It is an essence. An emotion. A changing canvas that is uncapturable. (I guess that's a word - auto correct didn't try to do anything about it - LOL!)
Sunset reflections fascinate me. There is never a copy from another day. Every day is different and unique.
There are so many things that make a
difference. The level of clouds in the sky - all of them between you and the sun - make a difference. The amount of
moisture, dirt, or smoke in the atmosphere all make a contribution. Smoke makes the sun redder. So does dirt. Mountains and trees show off their silhouettes and bodies of water like lakes, ponds, rivers and oceans show off even more reflections of the reflections!
Side note here: Not all of you may know what I mean about seeing dirt in the sky. Where there is bare dirt and lots of wind, it sometimes gets kicked up and can be seen like a fog. Here in the southwest: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and maybe a few more states will know what I mean.
Sometimes, it's the clouds in the direction of the sun that are showing lots of color. And sometimes, it's the clouds behind you that are reflecting the colors and appear to be burning, like this picture to the left. Though it looks like the sun is peeking out there, as I remember this place, I was looking south, away from the sun and not into it.
This twilight glow gives the land a mystical appearance and it lasts but a short time!
So what makes a sunset? Do the clouds actually change colors? Do they have that capability? Why does this happen only at sunrise and sunset? Why don't they keep those beautiful shades of orange, red, pink, and purple? Why don't they stay that way all day long?
The clouds actually have nothing to do with the sunset colors. They are just there, and the sun reflects off of them as it makes its journey around the earth. As it gets to the point where the sun is low in the sky and less light is getting through the atmosphere, all these changes take place.
It's the amount of sunlight and what's in the atmosphere that makes all these sunlight reflections that we "ooohh" and "aahhh" (awe) over the changing sunset reflections!
Many times we compare the sun to the Son (of God). If so, then could you be compared to a cloud? The moon? What colors are you reflecting? Are you reflecting?
Have you ever noticed that the clouds show a uniformity of color with gentle transitions into other colors? There is only a gradual change. One cloud isn't bright orange right next to a pale pink. They are all in unison as they change. That's part of the beauty of it.
I hope that we allow ourselves to reflect the Son and be in unison with those around us. Let's create a beautiful reflection in unity of love and kindness.
Ecclesiastes 1:5 The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries away to a place from which it rises again.
And it is beautiful the next morning and evening. Again and again. Consistently consistent with its coming and going and constantly changing from moment to moment giving in to the brightness of day or darkness of night for resting your body, spirit and soul. Refreshed to do it again.
Reflect Jesus: