Stillness

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

There is just something special about a sunset and the sense of peace and calm that it brings to a photo. To me it captures a calm and predictable moment of closure to the day. Whatever has transpired in our lives or in the world is past and we quietly turn the page to what will become a new day at sunrise. Maybe the night is the slight rustle and tiny breeze of the page as it turns over. Perhaps it is our chance to take a breath before the new day dawns. The beauty of life is that each of our pages that we turn are not yet written so we have a new opportunity before us to write our story on the new page.

In terms of photography this picture speaks to me not only because of the sense of closure that I see but also the feeling of foundation that the old driftwood logs give to the photo. The logs are trustworthy and predictable as they are always in the same place whenever I visit this place. By contrast the clouds and the position of the sun and the color that may or may not be present are not always the same and change from day to day. It is this combination of the known and the unknown that makes it easy to come back to a familiar place time and again because it will always be the same yet different each day.

In the Psalm above it is God who is Eternal and steadfast, never changing. The unfolding history among the nations may be ever changing and feel sometimes chaotic and unpredictable which can create fear but when we cling to the unchanging God of all creation we can be still and not fear. He is exalted in the earth and the true source of peace and stillness.

Take some time out to find a beautiful sunset and simply rest in the beauty. As you take it in quietly turn your page to close out one day, open the next and thank God for the blessings of life.