A beautiful summer day in my neighborhood this morning. A gentle cool breeze is pinging the wind chimes, waking the earth from its slumber. The sky is the color of the wild blue yonder, so blue it’s almost purple, with not a cloud in sight. The warmth from the bright sunshine is making the zinnias a scattered rainbow of colors in my garden. The birds songs are drifting on the breeze, singing from Mother Nature’s hymnal, and I’m perched on my porch swing enjoying this wondrous day. Psalm 90:14 speaks of the joy of each day’s morning — “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” Life is so precious and I’m so thankful for every day.

Guess Mother Nature didn’t want to toast marshmallows and make s’mores tonight. She didn’t ignite a blazing wildfire across the horizon at dusk. A gleaming sunset kissed the turquoise clouds goodnight on the horizon as the sun walked down the sunset pageant runway on the arm of Father Sky. While the sun got ready to bid the day goodnight, Mother Nature was mixing God’s watercolors on her palette, preparing to paint the clouds at dusk. Her brush strokes in shades of flamingo pale pinks, red grape violets, and ripe peach oranges were layered across the horizon like rainbow flavored cotton candy. On the high clouds she quickly touched the sky canvas with strokes of mauve and aquamarine. How could you not believe in a higher being when you look upon the breathtaking colors of a glorious sunset. Psalm 65:8 states “…You make the dawn and sunset shout for joy.” Yes, God does!

Ever seen the sun find a break in the clouds and focus all her rays on that opening, lighting up an otherwise dreary day with her warm sunshine? I love this quote from St. Francis of Assisi, “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” The sunbeam has the power to warm the earth, burn the clouds away, and heal our despair. Malachi 4:2 reads, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.” We can be sunbeams for Jesus shining our lights of righteousness on this planet earth that needs our prayers. God is calling us to be a beacon of light for him, to shine in the world where there is darkness. We live in troubling times and need to pray for God’s blessings and his grace to shine and light the darkness that is shadowing our earth.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” Matthew 5:16. Our faith can shine as we share our testimonies. We have the light of God inside us and can spread this light to the world through our words and our actions.

“When you trust yourself, you will come out like a beautiful sunbeam through the dark clouds.” — Mehmet Murat Ildan