Do these sunglasses make me look fat?

"He brings the deep shadows into the light."
Job 12:22

I love shade.  When I sit in my car, waiting at baseball practice, or sit on a blanket during volleyball practice, I need, need, need to be in the shade.   Direct sunlight is not comfortable.  Makes me hot or squinty, or worst case, it causes a sunburn on just one part of me, making me look like half of a farmer the next time I wear anything sleeveless...  And if you do let that happen, then you're stuck like that for months!  I can still see the line of demarcation where I sat in one position for too long a beach birthday party last August.  Shade, baby.  It's where it's at.  Or where it's not, if "it" is the sun....

Anyhow, when I read this verse, I was sitting in the sun.  I was sitting outside the house where AG   (Awesome Girl) is taking French.   Normalement, j'attend avec elle, mais je suis malade.  (Normally, I attend with her, but I am sick.)   *Le cough*  I parked my car in the sun because I wanted to be able to access the French teacher's wi-fi, and because I knew it would only be awhile before the sun went down behind the house.   (It took 27 minutes.)  So I sat in my car, and thought about the fact that I eschew the sun.  (You can expect to see that word under "words that fascinate me" very soon.)

And as I thought about it, I realized how much I love it, if I'm not directly in it.  And I think it has to do with this verse in Job; with what He reveals in the sun.  Like the fact that my cat, Hazel, looks like a black cat until you see her in the sun.  I didn't want a black cat (too boring) but when I took her into the visiting room at the Animal Shelter, the sun was shining in there, and I realized she's not black.  She's a deep, dark chocolate brown.  Velvety brown, like a mink.  So much more interesting than she first appeared.  But then, aren't we all....  ;)

And my daughter's hair.  Beautiful highlights that are some combination of the highlights in my hair, and those in my sisters'.  Is there anything more wonderful than realizing that your kids are entirely unique individuals, and yet somehow an amazing amalgam of many people in your family?

And my car.  My car is a wonderful color that I call "Chesapeake".  Less creative folks, like those at Chevy, would call it "teal".  I pray for those folks...  I think my car is at its most beautiful on foggy or cloudy days, but when you see it in the sunlight you catch the beautiful gold sparkles that hide there.

My mom's car, too.  Hers is what she calls "Sky Blue Pink".  Can you appreciate that?  If your mind cannot color you a picture of that, then I really do pity you.  But don't worry, you'll see that color when you get to heaven, I'm sure.

And clouds.  I love what the sun does to clouds, especially at sunset.  Every minute is different from the last.  Blues and golds and pinks and oranges and purples.  And yes, sky blue pink!

And trees.  When I get up in the morning, I go sit in my chair in the living room, and concentrate on blinking, until it no longer feels forced.  And I love to look out the window.  I can see the trees that are directly outside our backyard, and beyond them are the trees that are across the street.  Beyond those are the trees up that hill across the street.  Beyond that, there are more trees, and I don't even know where those are.  The front yards of those houses over there?  Maybe that park that's back there somewhere?  But the way the sunlight hits them is fascinating.  The farther away the trees are, the sooner they get the sun.  So the leaves on the far-away trees become a yellowy-green, while the leaves closest to me are still a shady, bluey-green.

He reveals things in the light, and I'm thankful I can see them, and I hope I never stop appreciating them.  If you'd like to join me, I'll be the one on the blanket in the shade ~ but facing the sun!