Crystal Draper watching the sunrise on January 9, 2013. Taken on grid road about 10 miles east of Francis , Saskatchewan, Canada |
Here's the story before this photo...
I was driving my daughter, Crystal, to the Regina airport after a wonderful Christmas visit. As we pulled out of the driveway, the cloudy sky allowed only a sliver of pink on the horizon. Not 10 minutes later, Crystal cranked around to look out the back window. Her ooh and ahh caught my attention, and I glanced back. That's all it took before I braked and pulled over.
The sun rises in degrees so the sky is never the same from one moment to the next. The best dawns are those with some type of cloud cover for the rays to reflect off, yet only on special days will you see a full-fledged sunrise like this one. I suppose there are people who can tell the science behind it. I can't. I just know that sometimes God's greeting takes my breath away, like it did Crystal's that January morning.
As soon as the van stopped, she was out and running across the road to take her photo. I was right behind her, and took the photo you see above. Seconds later, I took another one, yet as I lowered my camera, the colours had already begun to fade. By the time we were back on the road, it was over.
‘Call
to Me, and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things, which you
do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3
That's beautiful! I'm glad you stopped to take the pictures.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elaine.
ReplyDeleteCan you see a full sunrise where you live, or do buildings block your view?
Thanks for visiting me today. :)
at home, the buildings block the full sunrise. At work, it is a little better as there is a large parking lot before the buildings. however, it still isn't as good as being in the country!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm glad you have a choice. And you know where to come for an unobstructed view. :D
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful, Anita. At first glance, I thought it was the ocean. Then I realized it was snow. Very lovely. I love the sunrise, especially when there's a little bit of fog and the mountains rise above it with the purple to orange glow.
ReplyDeleteperfect verse for this photo, and I couldn't agree more on all accounts. Sometimes by the time you grab your camera the moment is gone.
ReplyDeleteI am very blessed to see many beautiful sunrises. 1. because I'm up too early! 2. I have unrestricted view to the east out my front window.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who has seen just this same moment from this particular spot on earth. (and then my neighbor posts it on facebook later!)
thanks Anita Mae - I loved this the first time I saw it.
Such a beautiful picture. I am blessed to see these kinds of sunrises also. I live in Colorado Springs, my back deck faces south-east and we are high on a hill so I have an unobstructed view.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about how quickly the colors change, I've missed some beautiful shots because I couldn't get to my camera quick enough.
Just beautiful--the Scripture, the photo, and the story behind it. Thanks, Anita.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Suzie. Yes, it does look like the ocean, doesn't it. I wondered if the mountains got in your way, or if your island was far enough out for them not affect your sunrise.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, fog adds a surreal element to the scene, especially, as you say, if there's other colors in there. Purple's my favourite. :)
I know, Deb. So many times I've seen a fantastic sunrise, so I've gotten dressed, grabbed my camera, slipped on my boots, coat, mitts, and hat... And by the time I step outside, it's gone!
ReplyDeleteNow when I see a great sky, I go out, bare feet in my boots, coat unzipped, jammies flapping in the wind, and take my pic. Much for memorable on film and in my mind that way. Ha!
Oh, Diane! You must have some breathtaking views. I'm smiling just thinking about the shots you could make if you had your camera in hand.
ReplyDeleteI've learned from experience to keep my camera on top of my purse by the door. Usually it's got an empty memory card and charged up battery inside, and an extra battery and SD cards in a pouch on the loop.
Of course, I still miss things, but that's the best spot because it's quite normal for someone to come in the house and shout, "Tell Mom to bring her camera!" And if I'm not available, they grab it and go.
The best advice I can give is to find a spot where you can grab and run. WEll, at least I have to run outside because my windows are too yucky to see through these days.
I enjoyed your visit. Thanks for sharing with us. :)
You're welcome, Susie.
ReplyDeleteAbout the verse... I didn't have an inkling what to use. I was going through my Bible, but I didn't get that 'read me!' feeling for any one place or another, you know?
So I thought I'd update the church's website and when I opened Sunday's bulletin, that was the verse at the top. You can bet I felt a thunk.
I wasn't going to use that photo because I'd recently shown it on Facebook, but as I looked through my photo files, I kept thinking back to that one. I think the clincher came when I realized the message wasn't so much in the sunrise, but that Crystal was standing there.
If you recall, Crystal is our only child who's a non-believer. Yet, she stood in awe of God's handiwork knowing something extraordinary was happening and that soon it would be gone. Perhaps she didn't credit God for the sunrise, but just seeing her in that photo gives me hope that one day she will see Him as the creator of everything, including herself.
beautiful picture Anita. we can't see sunrises from our house, but if we're on a dive trip - we get to see the sun rise at the beach. Some days it is gorgeous, others... not so WOW per se, but still nice to watch.
ReplyDeletedidn't know the info about your daughter. will keep her in my prayers along with those of my family who haven't made a commitment to the Lord. *hugs*