Last night I was afforded the rare blessing of a little time by myself with a book at Starbucks. Not finding a place inside that looked cozy, I went outside and chose a table facing the parking lot. I sat and read and was refreshed in record time. As I neared the end of my time there, I noticed the sun setting beautifully and it occurred to me how little I see the sun set.

I’m awake for the sun rising every morning, usually even outside when it begins to fill out street with light. 

But most days our afternoons melt quickly into dinner times and then into busy “do the next thing” times.

Between the rushing and hurrying–

The bathing and the feeding,

The cleaning up to clean it again,

The packing the lunches…

The readying ourselves for rest-

I often miss the sunset. 

Having little ones means we are usually indoors at this time of day. We quickly transition from the dinner hour to the Jammie and Book Reading hour. We are brushing little teeth and finding little dolls and tucking in tight and giving one more kiss. Before we know it, the sun is long gone, they are tucked safely in their beds and we collapse on the couch in an exhale and often really look at each other for the first time all evening. Even when it’s necessary, it feels like too much rush. 

I remember when both my girls were newborn babies and how much mixed joy I would feel at that time of day. In their first few months, I found myself in the odd throes of post-partum depression. Sunset was both depressing and heartening for me. Depressing because I was so tired and I knew the night would be no more restful than the day had been. Heartening because, we had made it–through another day!!!

In the sunset we are reminded that God has sustained us for another day yet again. He has given us all that we need today. He has blessed beyond what we deserve and unfortunately beyond what we often even notice.  Last night when I paused long enough, I saw gorgeous colors, pinks and purples that my Lucy would love in her coloring box. The beautiful colors of the sunset, He, being the Creator of Creativity that He is, dreamed up. Some might say it’s a scientific process of light and clouds. I know that it’s a gracious blessing that God bestows on us. Every. Single. Day. That is love. To paint that for us.

Life being what it is, we simply cannot always move slow enough to take in every aspect of beauty of life surrounding us. Perhaps that’s what is so startling when God allows us to slow down for a moment or two. But when He does bless us with a moment of peace or an hour of quiet, even if it’s at the end of the day, we must remember that HE is our sustainer. When we barely stagger through the last few hours of the day and point ourselves toward bed, let us take note of His FAITHFULNESS. Yes, His mercies are new every morning. But, Praise God they last throughout the day and into the night. He alone provides the strength we cannot manufacture. 

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,”

Psalm 92: 1-2

Tomorrow is the Last Night to enter the Book Giveaway!!