Sunshine

  I don’t know that I truly appreciated the sunshine until I  moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota.  I spent the first 37 years of my life in the southeastern United States where it is often cloudy and always humid.  Here in western South Dakota, not only is it drier, the sky just seems bigger and bluer and the sun brighter.  Some of that is because there are less trees and the trees we do have are shorter than the very tall pines of Georgia.  Some of my appreciation of sunshine is because it does get a little cold here in the winter and I am grateful for the warmth.  

Today, we went on our second hike of the season.  My daughter and I try to hike most weeks May-September (although we haven’t been good about sticking with it in previous years).  The Black Hills have many great places to hike, although I am partial to Custer State Park.  I am amazed at the difference in how I feel when we are being consistent with hiking.  I struggle with depression, so it sometimes takes great effort to make myself leave the house, but it is so worth it when I can be out in the sunshine.  I think I struggle less here than I did in the southeast because we have so many more days of sunshine.  

Sunshine is just cheerful, don’t you think?  It is one of those obvious blessings from the Lord that we take for granted.  Can you image life without sunshine?  I think about the places to the far north where they have to go without sunshine, some for weeks.  I don’t think I could handle a winter farther north than where I live now.  Darkness just feels cold and oppressive.  Of course, there is a reason for that.  We see that in our physical world and realize a spiritual reality.  Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12).  Sin and Satan are in the darkness (Acts 26:18).  We are naturally drawn to light because it makes us feel better, because we can see what is happening around us, because it is warm and welcoming.  We should probably think about this more as we make choices and deal with our own sin.  


This summer, get out into the sunshine and give glory to the Light of the world.

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