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A Beautiful Day

By October 1, 2013August 30th, 2022Devotional

Last Saturday was one of those days that you just can’t beat. And the Lord knows that fall is my favorite season of the year. This year has flown by so quickly and the summer seemed to come and go before it ever got started. Soon, too soon I am afraid, we will be faced with the cold and possible snow that winter brings. But in between, it’s been a great fall so far. Sometimes, we don’t know what to expect. The weather swings have seemed to be more violent the last several years and it’s difficult to count on any consistency.

Whenever Janet and I travel, it seems like we pack for every possible contingency. Umbrellas in case it rains, jackets in case it’s chilly,  short sleeves for unseasonably warm – you get the idea – you just can’t count on the weather the way that I remember from years ago – even for a day or two. Of course, maybe Janet and I are getting older and just becoming a little more sensitive to temperature and humidity. But all is forgotten when we have a day like we did Saturday.

By just about every imaginable standard, it was perfect. The sun was shining, but kind of like Baby Bear’s porridge in the story of The Three Bears – not too hot, not too cold – but just right. There was an art festival here in downtown Carmel this past week-end and the place was packed Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately, it rained Sunday, but even that was a gentle, continuing rain that brought much needed water to God’s creation.

It’s amazing to me how your mood can be so lifted by a beautiful day. Most of the time I sit behind a desk or am buried in paperwork and don’t get to enjoy the outside. I admit I am a little bit paranoid about the sun because I have had issues with with too much skin damage from poor habits in my youth and I don’t want to add to my problems. So when you see me outside, even in the summer, I look like, as my mother used to say, Nanook of the the North – covered up from head to toe, with a hat, usually long sleeves and long pants. I don’t dare get too much exposure – it just isn’t healthy for me.

But when there is a day like Saturday – well, I just see God everywhere around me. I am not even one of those people who normally gets energized by nature, but I love those perfect fall days. The verse for tonight is probably one of the most famous verses in the Scripture – one that we have heard for most, if not all, of our lives. From Psalms 118:24, “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

My encouragement this evening is that God wants to send us surprises – little additional ways of showing His immense love for us. Sometimes it’s a friend when we are lonely, or a bit of rest when we are just too tired to carry on – and sometimes it is a beautiful day to remind us of His wonderful creation all around us. My prayer this evening is that you will rejoice in the Lord and recognize that that His little gifts are all around us – as a gentle reminder of His divine love for each of us. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…

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