As I was driving this morning I noticed how pretty the sky was. It was medium blue and there were many large white cumulus clouds. What especially caught my eye were sun rays coming down through the clouds. It was similar to the image I’ve chosen to accompany this post. I often look at the sky and take pleasure in seeing its variations: some days there’s not a cloud in the sky; other times there are clouds of various sizes, shapes, and colors–the very white clouds such as those I saw today, gray rain-filled clouds, black storm clouds with lightning flashing in them, and clouds of different hues caused by the angle of the sun. And of course there are the beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
Having a connection to nature is often emphasized as being important to people’s well-being, and taking walks, spending time in parks, hiking, camping, etc. are encouraged. I stay busy with many commitments and am not “in nature” very often. I enjoy seeing the trees, bushes, and flowers in the yards in the area where I live, and also seeing the birds and rabbits and squirrels. In this way I’m able to take in those nearby aspects of nature. But noticing the beauty of the sky is probably my most consistent connection to nature. And I can see its beauty wherever I happen to be, whether I’m waiting for my bus on a busy street corner in the city or taking a walk in a park near my home.
For me, there’s something particularly special about sun rays. There’s a kind of majesty to them. When they appear, I think of the majesty and presence of the Creator, the One who created the beauty that I’m seeing. I also associate the presence of the Creator with the presence of hope. That was the inspiration for the name of my blog, Ever Present Hope. And that is also why my main blog image shows pretty sun rays.