predictable beauty

My dad texted me this picture from our lakehouse the other night.

We have been going to Lake Athens my entire life. I've literally seen hundreds of these sunsets. Every night the sun sets in the exact same spot over the lake, and we have the perfect view of it from our dock. It's one of the things I miss the most about Texas.

You might think by now I'd be like, "Oh that? Old news." But no matter how many of these sunsets I see, they never get old. Even though the sun goes down in that same spot every night, every night it looks a little bit different. The sky is different, clouds are different, the colors are different.

But one thing is constant... I am always captivated by their beauty.

Of course there are nights when it's stormy and you can't see the sunset at all. These nights can be cool in their own way - taking cover under the roof of the dock as the rain pours all around you, hearing the booming Texas thunder, watching the lightning storms in the sky. And even thought you can't see the sun, it's still there behind the clouds.



And if you're lucky... when the storm is over, the clouds will part and you will catch the most breathtaking glimpse of God's glory, seemingly streaming down straight from the heavens.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." - Psalm 19:1

But the sunsets... those are the ones you hope for. And every once and a while, you get a truly epic one. A sunset that is stunning and vibrant beyond belief. A sunset so beautiful it seems pretend. A sunset so incredible, words don't do it justice. A sunset like this one...

Sunsets like this are pretty rare. We might see about one a year. But you never know if tonight will be that night.

I think these Texas sunsets are a lot like life. Occasionally there are days with storms - hopefully not too many. Just enough to make you appreciate the good days. Just enough to make you stronger.

And there are days that are like the epic sunsets. Days that stand out among the rest in our minds. These days can be milestones like birthdays, graduations, weddings. Or they can be days think will be ordinary but end up being extraordinary in the most wonderful, unexpected way.

But most days? Most of our days are like the beautiful sunsets. These days are the ones we expect. They are nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, they can seem boring, predictable, and even dull at times. But they are good days, nonetheless. They are beautiful days.

I think so often we get caught up in our day to day routine that we forget to look around and appreciate the beauty around us.

This life is beautiful. Like the most predictable of sunsets, let us never fail to be captivated by the beauty of each day.

"The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy." - Psalm 65:8