365 Project Day 219: Sunday Gifts

Canon 5D Mark ll, 16-35 2.8L, 4.5 aperture, focal length 16mm, 1/125 shutter, 200 ISO

I was down by the barn when I saw the storm rolling in. The horses’ manes were blowing softly in the breezes that come before a summer storm. I could see a bit of orange in the distance. I sensed a beautiful sunset was in the making. I hurried to find Chris as the first drops of rain began to fall. We jumped in the car and headed to the highest point we knew of in the area, the rain now blurring the windshield. ” The best sunsets come after a storm”, I told him. ” Sounds like a blog to me”,  he answered, smiling. Yes, it did. When we got to the top of the hill, the rain was already receding and the pavement steamed with relief. One side of the sky was blue with wispy clouds, the other still dark with streaks of lightning, threatening. It was beautiful, with so many opposing elements happening at once. The thunder, the birds singing, the lightning, the blue sky.

Then we turned around and saw it. A rainbow that stretched nearly across the sky. I have never photographed a rainbow before and wasn’t sure I could. I fumbled through my lenses, afraid it would disappear before I got the right one out. Other cars pulled off and neighbors we did not know tumbled out to gaze at the spectacle. It really was glorious.

We were all at once a community, caught up in the beauty. Our common ground was the glory of God, and we were instant friends. I love how beauty does that. God does that.

But the gifts kept coming.

As the rainbow faded, the sun began to make her bed in the horizon, casting her warm glow across the earth. The grass, the trees, the face of my husband, all now gleamed with light. I caught Chris’s hand, and breathed in the moment, warm and heavy with the scent of summer rain. Small raindrops began to fall again as we watched the sun setting in the distance. We were alone again. He pulled me close. I let my heart stretch and breathe as I received the gifts. They were falling like the rain that was lighting on our skin, soft and cool, bringing us back to the present with every drop. We talked about how we walked in the rain when our love was new, and nothing else seemed to matter.  He told me back then that  rain looked good on me. Still a great line. He can say it to me for the rest of our lives together if he wants, even if it isn’t raining.

How I loved these Sunday gifts. Captured a few of them to share.

James 1:17 ~ “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Have a wonderful Monday.