My friend described this morning’s awakening day perfectly, “sailor blue sky and goose down clouds…movin’ slow like a small town Christmas parade.” I watched the snow white sun kissed clouds meandering across the sky and enjoyed all the songbird symphonies and wind chime sings. My yard was full of birds and butterflies. I think the butterflies have been eating Miracle Grow. I’ve never seen them so large and beautiful. Such a glorious day to relax in the swing till Mother Nature turned up the heat and ran me off the porch into the reading chair in the air conditioning. Been pondering in my chair reading and looking for inspiration from quotes.

Went out after supper to give a skinny little cat a can of chicken. He’s been hiding in my zinnia garden under some sunflowers all day. I think it’s Cheddar, who used to live next door, always an outside cat and when my neighbor died he moved up the street. Guess he’s back and he’s welcomed to live with us. Penelope loves cats. Poor pets when their masters die, left to fend for themselves. It was months before Penelope quit running into the breakfast room looking for Chief.

I sat in the swing and watched the sun roll down the sky tonight, hitting the ground like a red rubber ball, exploding into a peach wildfire as she hit the horizon and bounced. Father Sky stamped out the flames on the hem of the sun’s red sequined gown and escorted her and the day’s light down the horizon to join the twilight as it slowly walked across the neighborhood under a dusky purple sky. Father Sky kissed the sun goodnight, waked the milky moon and the twinkling stars and pinned them to the black sky canopy to guide the night travelers. One day ended, one night begun.

I love this quote and I can hear Father Sky, formally dressed in his black tuxedo, speaking in a slow southern drawl, as he answers the sun’s question of what does he do with the night. “Most nights you’ll find me swinging in the hammock of the moon, sipping the night black, a few stars as sugar cubes,” Curia Tyrone Jones. I love that! Just wonder if he takes off his shoes before getting in the hammock. I can smell the gray smoke from his Cuban cigar as it thinly shadows the moon and stars. I’m awed by the night sky and it’s millions of stars.

Psalm 19:1 reads, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” The sky shows us God’s beauty and his grace and power. As we glance up into the night sky we realize we are but a speck on this planet earth. God can see clearly in the darkness of our life and uses the darkness to strengthen our faith.

We trust in God and he gives us comfort and guidance when we face hard times. We don’t understand why things happen and when our worlds fall apart we wonder where is God. God is always by our side, ever faithful and supportive, even when we cannot see him or feel his presence. He holds us up and carries our burdens. His light is always guiding our journey, showing us our divine path, preparing us for eternal life in heaven.

God is always faithful even when we question our faith. We don’t have to fear the darkness because God’s light will always shine in the darkness. It might be just a pin point but it’s there waiting for us to brighten its beam through our prayers and thanksgiving.

God has promised us the darkness will never defeat the light. John 1:5 reads, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Through our belief in God we can be a light in the world for others. “You are the light of the world…Let your light shine before others, so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven,” Matthew 5:14-16.

“Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray,” Lord Byron.