The time the sun is up is getting shorter. We are feeling the cooler weather in the mornings. The trees will begin to change. It is the transition of seasons. I find it a little more difficult to get up and going in the mornings when it is dark for so long after I get up. It feels like the beginning of the day is delayed. But there is an advantage I had forgotten over the summer.
Early in the morning, at just the right time, the light of the moon shows the way. We don’t often think about how much light the moon does give. We associate it with dark and nighttime. But if we leave the creature comforts of our yard lights, the moon takes on a new vibrance. It seems to go unnoticed for most of us because we have the house lights on. The first thing we often do when we get up is turn on a light. When we go outside and it is dark, we turn on a light. We don’t give the moon a chance to shine so brightly.
We really notice the beauty of the moonlight when we allow our eyes to adjust. When we are outside without manmade light, there is a brilliance. No manufactured light should be on, just us and the moon. The moon can be so bright that it casts your reflection. It can light up the entire area around you. Your eyes begin to see by the light of the moon in all its glory. But we never notice this if we simply live by the lights we have created. When we block what God has given us with things we have made, we miss the creation.
It doesn’t just happen with lights. We have made things for our comfort so much that we forget or ignore God’s creation waiting to be seen, experienced, and enjoyed. We don’t notice the fresh air because we have manufactured air. We don’t walk through the woods because we have roads. We don’t walk in the dark because we always have light. Our mindset is to ignore the creation for convenience. And oh the things we miss.
Today, maybe we turn off the light and just look. Maybe we leave our home to hear the birds sing. Maybe we sit outside with no electronics to experience the goodness. It may seem odd for a while, even boring. But there are so many joys waiting to be discovered if we just stay with it. God has created the beauty. Don’t miss it…don’t let it go unnoticed.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 74:16-17
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 