Sunny Days ...

Sunny days have become so meaningful for me. I live in the lower northeast of the United States and have for all my life. When I was young, I loved the snow (we seemed to get more back then) and I loved wrestling, which competes in the winter. But as I grow older, I find myself not so much hating winter as I do crave sunlight. The dark and dreary days spent mostly indoors definitely have an impact on me. There is nothing quite lick the crack of a baseball bat or the pop of a ball in a mitt to signal that baseball, sun, and new life is just around the corner. The first few mild days with bright sun, I find whatever excuse I can to get out in the sunlight for at least a good half an hour. There is nothing quite like the feeling of sunlight on your face or on your back after a long winter. Except for the love of Christ.

The sun has become a very powerful symbol to me lately of God's love for me in Christ. I could not imagine living without the sun. That's one of the descriptions of hell that is truly terrifying to me - to live forevermore in darkness with no hope of escape or relief. The sun is God's daily and seasonal reminder to me that I cannot live without His love. If it were not for Christ, I could see myself easily worshipping the sun. My heart, as every heart does, searches for something to worship - whether it's pleasure, power, prestige, popularity, or self - and we fill that gap with something, even if its unconscious on our part. What you worship shapes your life. But the sun is so much of a blessing in my life that if I did not know the One who created it, I would settle for worshipping it. I would exchange worship of the creator for worship of the created. And my life might seem good for a while, maybe years, but in the end, it would be empty.

But the sun is now a daily reminder to me of God's Love. He who sent His Son to die for me and freely gives me all things according with being his adopted son - He is the one who placed the sun in the sky. As great as the sun is, as beautiful as it is, is not the giver of the gift even greater?

And that is probably the best thing about the sun - it reminds me about Him. The sun is life-giving just as the Son is. The sun is blazing in its glory, its light reaching to brighten dark corners of the globe as He brightens and exposes the dark corners of my life. The sun is not "safe," but it's good and necessary for life. Christ is not "safe" for those who reject Him, and there is no life without Him. Someday, I will see Him face to face, and that Great City will have no need for the sun or the moon, for the Lord shall be its light! Now that is something that is truly amazing, exciting,and awe-inspiring ... and what I think about whenever I rejoice in the light of the spring or summer sun ...