It’s gonna be a bright sunshiny day. . .

I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.”
[Notebook, Oct. 10, 1842]”
― Nathaniel Hawthorne

“It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.”
Lyrics by Johnny Nash, I can see clearly now

(late blooms on the flowering Quince / Julie Cook / 2014)

Long past Spring it is now—that heady time of year when the garishly decadent displays of showy blooms stake claim to what had been a barren landscape. . .
Yet it appears, tucked away in the falling leaves and newly exposed spindly twigs, a few shrubs and bushes wish to reclaim a small piece of that now long departed season of glory— just as all manner of growth prepares, very shortly, to “go out” in a blaze of muted glory.

And so it is on this bright bright sunshiny kind of day, that I”m about to make the trek over to Dad’s.
There’s been some odd things perched on the horizon. . .can’t quite put my finger on it.
I’ve long ceased fighting with him over his lack of “taking care of business.”
I suppose it’ll all just go to the proverbial hell in a hand basket as the tax man may just come get him, but at least he’ll be happy in jail as they will indeed feed him.
And as they continue to have heat, lights and especially TV. . .life is good in Dad’s little world.

“Just stay there” he tells me. “It’s not safe to drive all the way here”
“Dad” it’s about an hour’s drive”—baring Atlanta’s infamous traffic.
“You could be killed!”
“Yes, well, I could be killed here at home Dad”
“But the chances are greater here!” this said with a sheer sense of panic in his voice.
I can’t argue that. . .

“I early voted yesterday. Have ya’ll voted yet?”
A warbly reply “I don’t think we can do that this year”
“WHAT?!” My oh so political loving card carrying diehard pundit is waving off a critical State election?
“I just don’t think we can do that” sounding almost disinterested.
I have high blood pressure, I’m in bed”
“You can’t go vote cause you’re in bed?”
“No”
“You can’t go vote cause you have high blood pressure?”
“No, no, I, I, uh, just don’t think we can do that!” said with the defiance that signals he wants to be left alone—too many questions which require too much thought and response—two keys areas he’s really falling woefully behind in. . .

Plus he’s taken to calling me on my cell phone– which means he’s calling me from his cell phone—the one he lost over a year ago and always said he didn’t know how it worked. Hummmmmmm
He calls twice a day now asking if everyone is ok, as though he’d forgotten he’d called just a few hours before asking the same. . .”Is everyone ok?”
“Dad I’m coming up tomorrow, have you forgotten?”
“You are? Does Gloria know this?”
“Yes Dad, you made me tell her yesterday. . .”
“Are you watching this business on Canada?”
“Yes Dad, it’s terrible. Are you still in the bed?”
“Bed? No, I’m up front watching TV”
“Well don’t forget, I’ll see you tomorrow”
“What? Are you coming up? What for?”
“Just to visit Dad. Do you want me to take you to vote?”
“No it’s too much trouble. I don’t like to travel anymore”
“Travel? Dad, it’s not a trip. It just up to the school to go vote. It’s right up the road”
“Did you vote?”
“yes Dad”
“Who’d you vote for?”
“Everyone you would have wanted me to vote for”
“That’s a good thing”

And so it is, or so I think. . .I’m off to see if it’s really a good thing or not. . .

I can see clearly now the rain is gone…

“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then; see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us!”
1st Corinthians 13:12 The Message Bible

This picture was taken last summer from the summit of Mt Washington in New Hampshire. The weather atop such summits as Mt. Washington, as well as other very high peaks worldwide, is always a wonder, always unpredictable. Mt. Washington boasts some of the the worst weather on the planet as 4 different air masses collide at its peak. The strongest winds on the planet have been recorded at the science station that calls the summit of Mt Washington home.

On this particular day, we were fortunate as the clouds had given way to blue sky, providing sweeping views below, even allowing trekkers a view of the Atlantic ocean. It is standing on such a summit that reminds me of how truly small I really am–how massive and powerful our planet truly is—but as some many of us live in or near big cities, we often forget about the grandeur of this planet and simply marvel in the man-made world which we call home.

If you’ve read any of my previous posts you know that I spent time in the mountains of North Carolina during college and that it is when I am in the mountains (as well as standing on an ocean shore) that I feel the closest to God, as I can truly marvel in the world He created. The views from a mountain summit or the power felt while standing at the shore of a raging sea, or the silent majesty felt while standing in a cathedral like forest constantly draws me back to God and His splendor—which is so quickly forgotten back in a city.

After all of our Spring rains, when I look at this picture, as when I look out my window this morning, I can hear Johnny Nash singing his oh so familiar number one hit from the early 70’s “I can see clearly now” …..
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

It is indeed a bright sunshiny day and just as our verse for this morning so joyfully states, it will not be long before we clearly see and know our Father, just as He sees and knows us—that is joy unto itself and a marvelous wonder of anticipation.

On this sun shiny morning, may I wish for you a sun-shiny day, clear skies and the joy of knowing and clearly seeing your Father in heaven just as He sees and knows you–