Sometimes I'm prepared for a sunset, sometimes I'm not. From the deck of Cedar Lodge at Warm Beach Camp I have witnessed a thousand sunsets, each one glorious. Driving in the early evening, whether on the freeway or in the farmlands, along the beach or facing the mountains, I have seen the expanse of the sky glow with the setting of the sun.
But there are other times when the sunset catches me completely by surprise. Maybe I look up from the sink when I am in the midst of dinner preparation and see hues of pink and mauve, a little yellow and orange in the clouds and I can't peel my eyes away. There have even been times when I have stepped out of the grocery store and been so struck by the splendor of the evening sky that I have called home to alert my family of the beauty awaiting them if they will just stop to look.
My attention is riveted to the sky and I am awestruck by the intensity of it all. I cannot see a sunset without being completely dazzled by it.
Christ comes to us throughout the day, drawing us to Himself, reminding us of His love and His nearness, inviting us to come to Him. He may use a sunset or some other experience to get our attention. Or He may just move us by His Spirit through His Word or a song in our mind or the recognition of our own weakness. We may be looking for Him, or He may just show up and take our breath away.
It is easy enough to dwell on one's own inadequacies rather than Christ's sufficiency. And when that is my attitude I do not respond well when He draws near. As if it were up to me to be good enough for God! Insufficient -- that is what we are. But He knows that, because He made us! And He comes offering grace.
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