Five Minute Friday - Sunshine

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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

you are my sunshine

walking on sunshine

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I'm missing the sunshine today. The sky is overcast and dull, and although the forecast says it should clear by late afternoon, it doesn't look like a good pool day. The weekend forecast calls for plenty of sunshine, so that's good news! We can plan to spend time outside with a fair amount of confidence in the weather cooperating.

I'm sometimes surprised at how much our plans and moods are affected by whether the sun is shining brightly or hidden by clouds. Of course if it's raining, plans for swimming or hiking or outdoor chores are likely to be postponed. Sometimes I'll reconsider plans to run errands or do shopping if it's raining. But how I feel can be a reflection of the amount of sunshine or cloud in the skies too, and I don't really like that about myself.

Why should I feel gloomy or lacking in energy and motivation just because the sky is grey? According to some statistics, only about 5% of Americans have Seasonal Affective Disorder, and I'm not among them, even though I definitely feel lower in spirits on rainy or cloudy days. It's almost like my circumstances affect my outlook on life, and I know that they shouldn't.

Thankfully, we know that the clouds will only hide the sun temporarily, and at night we know the sun will rise. We know that even if it's chilly or raining or the clouds obscure its brightness, the sun IS shining. And even better, no matter what the weather is like, we can know the light and warmth of God's love in our lives. It may sound trite and simplistic, but it's true. We must choose to believe in him and trust that he is faithful even when we can't see or feel it, and sometimes that's not easy. But he proves himself over and over, and keeps all his promises.

God's forecast is that He will make his face shine on us, and light our way through this cloudy world. That's sunshine we can count on every day, no matter what the weather is like.

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

~Numbers 6:24-26~

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,

shining ever brighter till the full light of the day.

~Proverbs 4:18~

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him, and he will act,

making your righteousness shine like the dawn,

your justice like the noonday.

~Psalm 37:5-6~

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.

~II Corinthians 4:6~

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Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilerating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~John Ruskin

Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine. ~Jack Ma

A good laugh is sunshine in the house. ~William Makepeace Thackeray

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Sunshine".

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