Sunday, August 24, 2008

Following the Light of the Sun

I hiked to the top of Mount Timpanogos with some friends this weekend. We set off at one in the morning and hiked by moonlight until we reached the summit. We waited there until the sun rose up from the distant hills and shone its glowing and constant light.

We look pretty happy for not getting any sleep, don't we?!
While we were waiting, someone asked, "Which is better--a sunset or a sunrise?"

Both are beautiful, but I have decided that for me a sunrise is much more beautiful and promising.

It ends the night as it rises from the darkness.
And no matter how dark the night, the sun shines with its radiant light.

We all have or will have times in our life where we will face nights so dark that it may be difficult to remember that there is light or even that the morning will come.

But just as we cannot doubt the reality that the sun will rise in the morning, we cannot doubt that the sun can light a new day in our lives.

We can believe and know that sunlight will come and chase out the darkness.

And isn't the sun just gorgeous? Its light is so illuminating!

I feel that even though at times I feel surrounded by darkness

a sunrise comes into my life.

In his journey across the ocean, Columbus said, "Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World."
I'm ready to leave that old world.

I'm ready to let God "turn my darkness into light."
(Psalms 18:28, God's Word Translation)

Because he always does.

I'm ready to greet life's sunrises, its new days, its light!

4 comments:

Laurel said...

Okay...
a.) These pictures are STUNNING! Did you seriously take them?

b.) Your writing is even better...
THANK YOU for sharing, Angela. I'm amazed by you...I was NOT this wise at your age (um, I'm still not...)

lydiaruth said...

I love the pictures, and seriously Angela, I really admire you, for you optimism, your faith, and everything else.

theriddle said...

I recognize lots of these people! How fun! I did timp at night once in college. Live it up! Great entry.

Joey said...

Looks like Joseph fell asleep right as the picture was being taken :)

I'm glad you caught the sunrise. When my freshman dorm did the night hike, we got there several hours too early, and after trying to sleep till sunrise by the lake, we decided to retreat back down the mountain, only to have the sunrise hit us halfway down.

Serendipity

The Oxford English dictionary describes serendipity as "the faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident. Also, the fact or an instance of such a discovery."