Sunset

(I took this photo in August the night before I flew back to Tokyo)

I returned to my classroom following an after school meeting today to find the room illuminated in a pale orange hue. Out the window, I could see the sun setting behind the tall buildings to the west. I stood and watched for a few minutes until the sun descended behind a sky-scraper and I remembered that I had places to be, things to do.

I often tell people that I don't miss much about the U.S. And that's true. However, there are a few things that I miss about the small corner of Washington State where I grew up. Aside from my family, I'd have to say my home church and the sunsets, in that order. I'll write about my home church some other time. Watching the sunset from my 3rd floor classroom was a peaceful moment in a busy day, but watching the sunset from a hillside in the middle of the country is... well, spectacular. It's telling to note that one of the most frequently painted scenes is a panoramic sunset... artists try their utmost to replicate the sight, but God actually created the sun and made it set. How awe-inspiring is that?

Take some time in the next week to watch the sunset (wherever you are--in Tokyo or on the farm) and just think about that truth... let it sink in.