Genesis 1:5 (ESV)—And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
I am a sunset person. The sun rises far to early for me to jump out of my comfy bed while I’m on vacation—or at home, for that matter. I love the colors streaking across the sky, the rays peeking out from behind clouds, the awe of the moment as people gather to watch the spectacle of the sun sinking below the horizon.
The sunset promises light in the darkness. The darkness reveals more of God’s magnificent creation. The moon smiles down at us. The stars wink from their stage in the sky. Planets glow. All these are reminders of God’s power and the light he shines on us, even in our darkest hour.
The train rumbled along a stretch of track heading north from Fargo to Grand Forks, North Dakota. The overhead lights were turned down low and the train car quiet. My husband and I were headed to Montana for a mission trip sponsored by our church.
My eyes fell shut, but after endless shifting to find a comfortable position, I could not fall back asleep. The coach seats and my tall frame didn’t afford me the luxury of more sleep.
(The silver lining: Train seats afford much more legroom than airplane seats, so at least I wasn’t shoved into a tiny space, knees crunched to my chest!)
So, at last, at four in the morning, I stared out the window and saw flashes of lightning on the horizon. I decided to escape to the lounge care.
My only obstacle: passing by my sleeping husband without waking him. Did I crawl under or over his legs? Either way I risked jarring him awake. Over his legs seemed the more dangerous option because I could easily (and probably would) tumble over (or kick or elbow) him, so I crawled into the aisle (without jarring him!) and walked to the lounge car with its wide windows and scenic views.
To the east, the sunrise painted a blaze of red across the horizon. To the west, lightning flashed and dark clouds brewed.
That day, I witnessed two spectacular displays of nature, both created by God. This scene makes me think of Psalm 103:12:
As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
