Sunsets.

As many of my friends and family know, I love to watch sunsets. I posted a lot of pictures of sunsets through 2020 but now that it's over, I've created a short collection of my absolute favorite sunsets from last year:

Sunsets are gorgeous but they’re more than a pretty scene. For example, a sunset closes the day. Though the day may have held tears, disappointments, or discouragements, a sunset’s calming beauty always gives me peace and perspective. It reminds me that eventually, everything ends. Pain can be transformed into something beautiful, and the morning will bring fresh opportunities.

But beyond this symbolism, I find sunsets significant because they widen my perspective of the purpose of life and its challenges. (This is a somewhat abstract analogy but bear with me.)

Every minute the sun sets, a fascinating change occurs in the darkening night sky. New colors emerge, already-present pigments deepen, and delicate cream clouds move in to frost the horizon with their beauty. I find this process enchanting and I often watch on the edge of my seat, gushing and rejoicing over the scene in front of me.

This year, I want to watch life the way I watch a sunset. To clarify: I won’t be idle and expect my life to evolve into a masterpiece without effort. Rather, I will extend additional energy and attention to my educational pursuits, faith, and personal improvement. Missing a good sunset is disappointing but overlooking an opportunity for emotional, intellectual, or spiritual growth is much more detrimental.

Additionally, I want to apply the appreciation I have for changing shades in a sunset to negative situations in my life. When dark clouds or colors emerge in a sunset, I get excited because those dark elements often add more depth to the scene. If I can love a literal storm cloud, then I can learn to appreciate the metaphorical dark clouds that blow into my life. I’m not advocating for false or forced optimism. However, I think it’s important for us to let our divine potential--not our fearful insecurities--rule our lives. Having a weakness exposed is intimidating but as I previously stated, a dark cloud or hue can make a sunset even more impressive. Therefore, the dark phases of our lives, when handled correctly, can make our lives more meaningful and inspiring.

While I often ponder about life and progression when watching the sun set, I still struggle to exercise a true desire to stretch and change. Especially as the first month of 2021 ends, I want to turn my New Years’ resolutions into habits that will instigate genuine and lasting personal improvement.

Sunsets remind me that change is necessary and beautiful but 2 Corinthians 5:17 gives me an actual tool for beginning internal and external transformation--Christ.

For “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

A difficult year will always “pas[s] away” but the only way we can abandon our weaknesses and old selves is through “be[ing] in Christ”. By taking his cross upon us and actively partaking of his all-encompassing Atonement, we can change our habits, thought patterns, flaws, and very natures.

The words of Christian music artist Pat Barrett perfectly summarize and close my thoughts on the influence of Christ in new beginnings, change, and life itself:

“To the ups and downs,

The highs and lows,

The taking in, the letting go,

To tears and laughter, the great unknown,

To the open journey, into faith I go…

[For] if this is what it feels like to be born again,

I’ll be born again”(“Into Faith I Go”).

Jump into the new year with renewed perspective. Feel the joy that exists independently of circumstances. WATCH MORE SUNSETS!! And embrace the dark clouds, low moments, and tears, for “the ups AND downs” are all necessary to be refined through Christ.

“Into [2021 with] faith I go”.

I’ll be born again.