Sat out on the porch this morning surveying my overgrown yard and looking at goats for sale on the internet. Wasn’t hungry for breakfast but my yard was full of songbirds singing for their breakfasts. The bird symphony was staccatoed with the harsh music of the neighborhood hawk calling his mate. As I perched and pondered, Penelope slept in her play pen. I looked over at my flowers and vegetables. They’ve felt the heat this summer and suffered without Mother Nature’s cooling and life giving rains. Once she brought the rain she forgot like me and left the hose pipe on too long.

Her winds have pushed the sunflowers onto the zinnias, the sunflowers’ heads bowed as in prayer. I propped the tallest of the sunflowers on my ironing board scarecrow lady and pushed the zinnias back upright. I felt the heat today on my bare feet as I walked to the mailbox, actually had to step off the sidewalk to the grass because the pavement was so hot. Rain must feel luxurious on the plants’ leaves after suffering in the summer’s blazing heat.

I was getting ready to purchase a small goat herd this afternoon when my lawn mowing friends drove up. I’ve always wanted a goat herd but Chief always said no because they like to tap dance on cars and trucks. My grandmother McMurray had a light blue Cadillac with tail fins that stuck out the back and a goat, who occasionally escaped his pen near her home, loved to jump on her car and perform a dance recital routine. The first time Chief and I saw the goat on her car we could not believe it. We got out of our car and it just kept dancing. I always wondered what happened to that goat.

The mowing crew had not been here a minute before frightening dark purple thunderstorm clouds quickly boiled up and the wind got ferocious. They ran around with the weed eaters and put the pedal to the metal on the mowers and finished cutting my yard right before the downpour started. The itsy bitsy spider would have drowned in that downpour. Nobody’s yard but mine got mowed in the neighborhood. Course soon as they left the sun came out and dried up the rain. Interesting fact I read, The Itsy Bitsy Spider song is actually about alcoholism! Seriously…

I found this quote today on a scrap of paper on my desk, “That was her magic — she could still see the sunset, even on the darkest days.” It took me forever to find out who said it. It was said by Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. I think that sentence would be a wonderful compliment. My dearest friend can always find the sunset in the darkest of days. I think I’m pretty good at finding the sunsets, too. I think sunset finding is attached to the depth of our faith.

I remember sitting in the car in the hospital parking lot after Chief died. I had sat by Chief’s bedside as he took his last breath. As I sat weeping in the car I thought to myself he’s now with Rosie. He and his “Baby Lamb” were now together in heaven with our families. That thought was my sunset in my darkest hour. He had grieved so after her death. He went to the cemetery everyday for many, many years, taking her a bouquet of blooms from our yard. You could follow the worn down path to her grave from where he walked it every day.

Seeing a sunset shows us that the end of life can be as beautiful as the day’s ending. Today the sun set and bathed the horizon in a beautiful peach glow. As the clouds gathered to watch the days’ demise, Mother Nature painted a wildfire that burned dark watermelon pink flames up to the high heavens. As the flames of the fire touched the high clouds they were washed in watercolors of yellow and pink and purple and mauve. Wondrous layers of Mother Nature’s watercolors brushed beautifully across the sky.

It’s during the darkest days of our lives that we struggle to see the sunset, the light of God’s faithfulness. The human spirit is resilient and even in the darkness of questionable faith we can see the promise of a new day. Today’s world is so full of storms it’s hard to be optimistic but when we look up into the heavens and see a glorious sunset or a beautiful sunrise we can see the light of God’s love and find hope even in the most challenging situations.

The sun rises and warms the Earth just as God holds us in his loving arms and warms our souls. He has the whole world in his hands. We are his children and he will provide all we need if we surrender our hearts to him and follow his commandments. As the sun sets and takes the day’s light, focus on another glorioius tomorrow, a gift from a loving God. Use the gift wisely.

“Each day we live is a gift, so thank God in the morning for another day of life, and thank God in the evening for getting you through the day.” — Unknown Author

*Thanks for all the kind words and compliments about my “A cardboard box of memories…” blog. It always gratifying to have your words validated. Just started writing this blog after Chief’s death as a creative outlet for myself. I’m so happy that I have readers who enjoy my words. I thank you for reading and subscribing. I really appreciate it.