Sunsets and the American Flag

     Just recently, I posted a picture of a beautiful sunset behind the American flag to my personal page on Facebook.  I had titled it, “God is Good All the Time.”  Yes, he is, but as people commented, and I read them.  It got me to thinking how the commentors did not fully know my reason for making that post.  I took that picture Saturday evening, February 4th, 2023. 
     My house borders a timber company’s land, which has beautiful grown pine trees on it.  This makes my yard peacefully quite from all the road traffic.  The timber company has started harvesting the trees.  This made me cringe with the thought that all that beauty was about to disappear and my peaceful quite existence was about to be a thing of the past.  The whole scenery out of my kitchen window would be gone until they replanted the pines trees, and they grew. My attitude was somewhat bad.  I wanted to dislike the logging crew for the destruction of something so beautiful.  But I knew it was what it was.  Industry goes on. 
     What I did not really comprehend or even stop to consider was what was behind those trees.  I hadn’t thought about the fact that I live on one of the highest points in Perry County.  With that being said, the crews came and logged the parcel right outside my kitchen window.  Cleared it out totally, no other parcels.  It rained an extreme amount while they were doing this, so it took longer than usual to do that track of timber. I dreaded every morning what I would see as I poured my coffee.
     Fast forward a few weeks to the end of the harvesting. I awoke and went in the kitchen to fix that morning cup of coffee and opened the blinds to see what was happening in my world.  Out the kitchen window a beautiful blue sky, it was so bright that I didn’t really notice the raw land.  I told myself that wasn’t such a bad sight in the mornings.  I went about my day and that evening, as I was walking through the kitchen, I glanced out the window and there it was.  The most beautiful sunset I had ever seen in my life.  It was as if God was telling me, “I told you to have more faith, look towards the positive and trust me to know what you need in your life.  Not what you want.”  He kindly reminded me of all the things I seemed to forget, while worrying about something that was so small.   He is in control, He gives us just what we need when the time is right, he answers our prayers and reminds us that faith will move mountains.  I didn’t have a clue what was behind all those tall trees until they were no longer there. 
     Now, When I look out the window or in yesterday’s case, sit on the front porch and catch those beauties, I just smile and thank him for all the blessings that he continues to send my way.  He is the way, the truth and the light for all of us. I for one, know I am not worthy, but I continue every day to try and be a better person.  So, when I share my sunsets, know I am thanking my God, because I know he is, "Good all the time."