I’ve fallen in love again, with the day’s tranquil twilight. Never seen it more beautiful than tonight. As I perched in the swing, I watched the sun slip below the horizon, listening as the twilight whispered words of love to the earth, bringing the stars and the moon out from their hiding places. Twilight is always a magical time, the earth glowing in a golden light, the remnants of the day’s love making with the sun’s light, silhouetting the old oaks and magnolias in jet black.

The cicadas tune their musical instruments, loudly then softly, and coax the little lightning bugs out from under their leaf covers to be stars in the darkness. The muted colors of twilight are so pretty and the earth is still and silent, getting ready for slumber and dreams of God’s magnificent sunrise. Henry Ward Beecher says, “Twilight drops her curtain down and pins it with a star.” I love this from J.K. Rowling — “Twilight fell: The sky turned to a light, dusky purple littered with tiny silver stars.”

I think of twilight as the beginning of day’s death, a slow demise to darkness leading to the beauty of the awakening dawn and glorious sunrise of another day. God has given us so many wonders in this life. He had to consciously think of how to make the day’s ending and the day’s beginning wondrous. No artist has God’s palette of watercolors. We don’t need proof of the Lord, we can see it in his handiwork. Psalm 113:3 reads, “From the rising of the sun until the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.” The sun comes up each morning as proof of God’s creation of earth. Each sunrise is a time of hope and renewal. Doesn’t matter what happened today, tomorrow is a gift of a new day, a new beginning full of hope.

Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” God wants us to rise each day full of his glory ready to greet the new day with his love in our hearts. Just like we can count on the sun rising everyday we can count on God’s faithfulness. The beauty of each sunrise shows us God’s greatness and as the sun’s rays spread across the sky we’re reminded of God’s light that guides us through the darkness.

Psalm 118:24 reads, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” We should be gracious to God, thankful and happy for each day. Each day is a gift to be opened with prayers and thanksgiving. Love the life you live.

“Every day is a gift from God, no matter how old we are.” — Billy Graham