Collecting Sunsets By Carol Martin

My dad liked sunsets...a lot. He tried to photograph one everywhere he traveled. I am blessed to have a few of his pictures in my home. Because of his interest in sunsets, I have grown to love them too. I am a collector of sunsets like my father.

People collect a lot of different things: coins, stamps, refrigerator magnets, even spark plugs. How do you collect sunsets? You can’t put them in a bottle and set it on a shelf.  You must enjoy and savor each one, as its own unique entity.

Each day that we spend on this earth is precious to God and should be special to us, as well. Whether it be good or bad, fun or arduous, there is something to glean from each sunrise and sunset. He wants us to follow His will and be busy about His business every day, not just stack up the days in a pile, like we’re doing time in the Big House. Moses reflected on the passage of time in the following prayer:

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten;  ¹²So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."  Ps 90:10a, 12 (KJV)

Am I simply collecting sunsets, or fulfilling each one? Contemplating all of the day’s events or merely serving time? I want to realize God’s will for my life today. I don’t want to squander an opportunity to speak a word of encouragement to a suffering soul or give a cup of cold water to a thirsty heart. Instead of killing time or doing time, I want to be redeeming the time that God has given.

"Our Father in heaven is more concerned about our character than our comfort, so we struggle and we learn and we grow and we share our experiences with others so that they might benefit."--Steve Kent, Adamas Ministries

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Carol J. Martin is a veteran blogger and inspirational writer/speaker. She resides in Arkansas City, KS, with her husband, Steve, and four very spoiled cats. Carol leads the Cowley County Writers Guild, which meets every third Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Arkansas City Public Library. Her blog, Female in Motion, can be found at www.fim-carol.blogspot.com.