Five Minute Friday. Three hundred-plus writers embrace five minutes of straight writing with one prompt each Friday. Unconcerned about punctuation, spelling, grammar. Just pure, real, straight-from-the-heart writing.
Here goes! Prompt:
–PAINT–
Our home is set on a small hill, where each morning and evening I am able to behold through our windows the beauty God paints in each sunrise and sunset. Some are more breathtaking than others, but they are all beautiful. Each one is dramatically different and majestic in its own way. I find myself standing in awe as I gaze at each one.
I then quickly grab my phone to snap a picture. As beautiful as the pictures are, they don’t quite capture the glorious beauty I am blessed to witness.
I feel God paints each scene just for me. (Smile.) Some mornings I am brought to tears as I thank Him, in a way, for revealing Himself to me through His paintings. Through His colors. Through His scenes. In these I find great comfort and encouragement.
There was a time in my life where I wouldn’t have noticed God’s paintings in the sky. I was too busy making a name for myself. Too busy making more money. Too busy working. Too busy being “successful.” These paintings are a true gift to me today. My kids think I’m weird for appreciating them so much. I just tell them someday sunrises and sunsets will be important to them too.
I don’t understand how people can still question there is a God when they see what He paints for us each day. The one above I experienced at Siesta Key Beach in 2012. The one below is my favorite from last year’s vacation in Pensacola Beach.
Such beauty God paints just for us to enjoy!
Julie
(Five Minute Friday with www.lisajobaker.com.)
No, you’re not “weird!” You’re right; it is a true gift to be able to appreciate such beauty. To revel in it. I love sunrises and sunsets too, and have captured some beautiful ones on camera, but like you say, the photo never does them justice. Thanks for sharing this today!
Hi Abby! Thank you for affirming I’m not “weird!” I think there are a few of us out there that really appreciate them, you included! Thank you for stopping by today. It’s a pleasure to be on this writing journey with you. God bless you today!
Absolutely beautiful! I loved your pictures and I know what you mean. I witness stunning sunrises and sunsets here in Arizona but no matter how I try, my camera never comes close to grasping the beauty. I’ll keep trying to capture the beauty anyway, and I will appreciate and lose my breath over them again and again. God is so good. Thanks for sharing Julie!
Amen, Kelly! God is so good! I marvel some days of how He made His creation beautiful. He could have made it black, white and gray. But no, He made it beautiful for us to enjoy. I love that you lose your breath too over these scenes He creates! Have a blessed weekend. Thank you for visiting and your reply!
What gorgeous photos of God’s glory as we see it from this world. Julie, this is a beautiful offering you’ve shared with all of us…offering the gift of God’s beauty back in honor and praise to Him. Thank you!
Sabra, you always help me see things from a different perspective. I didn’t think about my post and photos being offerings, but I do now. Thank you! Can you imagine the glory we’ll see in His presence one day? It gives me goosebumps!
WOW! beautiful photos of God’s work, and beautifully written. I too would like to state that you are not weird at all! Frankly you come longer than most in this world– Like you say, it’s way too easy to get preoccupied in work, success, making money, or other things! Thank you for the reminder to take time to watch God’s beautiful landscape paintings. Thank you so much for sharing this with us =0) Wish you a blessed weekend and week to come.
Thank you, Ava, for stopping by today. I wonder how many things God “paints” for me and I miss them because of distractions?? Praying your day is blessed and beautiful!
I know what you mean! That’s one of the reasons I strive to get closer to Jesus, to learn His voice– and I love to unwrap what He has to show me:0)
Amen to that!
Wow, your pictures are beautiful, Julie. It’s so true that often a picture doesn’t even do justice to what we actually see! Our God is Awesome!
He most certainly is, Betsy! Thank you for stopping by today. Have a blessed weekend!
Julie, I am a sunrise and sunset addict! God loves me with those colors too. It’s amazing that each and every one is different every day. I had a friend tell me she had never really noticed the morning and evening sky before she knew me (I post pictures too 🙂 and now she schedules her morning walk to see the sunrise.
Loved this, thank you!
Hi Dena! I had no idea there were so many of us who appreciate God’s colors of the mornings and evenings! Thank you for letting me know you’re one of us. 🙂 I’ll check out your pics too. Thanks for sharing!