Day 22: 30 Days of Gratitude

Today, I am grateful that God speaks through His wondrous creation.

Mary left at 3:00 a.m. this morning for a week. She had a generous gift of a ticket to America, and she will spend the week with the older kids and most of her family, including her parents. We have rarely been separated on a holiday, but I’m so thankful that she can be with our other kids and her family on Thanksgiving.

I went back to sleep for a couple of hours and woke up feeling the emptiness in the house even though she had only been gone for a few hours. I dragged myself down the stairs and made some coffee. As I was walking out of the kitchen, the living room was filled with a bright, red-orange light. It was so bright, I had to squint. I have never seen anything like it. However, the Autumn skies here often surprise me with unexpected beauty.

I went out to the porch and caught the sunrise. It only lasted about 30 seconds. The heat from the sun coming over the horizon was such a contrast to the crisp air of the morning. Thankfully, I got a couple of pictures of it before it was gone.

In those few seconds, I felt the Spirit of the Lord reminding me that the Lord is near. Feeling lonely is real, and the loneliness of Mary’s absence didn’t go away. But bigger than that loneliness is the Presence of God. 

I’m grateful that today He made Himself known in such a tangible and unmistakable way. He is a good God.