Tonight, as I sat inside because it was too hot and humid still out on the deck, I could see the sky over the houses and between the trees. The sun was working its way down over the horizon. I could only see the light, not the orb itself. Most of the sky I could see looked somewhat grayish yellow, but at the lower western edge it looked as though some true blue was showing. As I watched it over the next several minutes, I could indeed see more blue reveal itself even while the light of the sun was fading.

This struck me as a metaphor for my life right now. I am preparing to head to our beloved Ocracoke Island with Max just hours after he gets back from the mission trip. While I know Ocracoke nearly as well as I know the patch of sky looking out my back window, it still is a slowly approaching mystery. What will it be like this time, the first time of going without Jeff since 1978? Will the patch of blue sky reveal more of itself at the edge of the horizon?

The yellow tinge in the sky felt a bit ominous, just like my sense of uncertainty of what the future holds. Then that blue patch took hold and my spirits lifted. There will be joy and hope that reveal themselves bit by bit.

Thank you, God, for a lesson in hope tonight.

[NRSV]