Blue Sky

As I write this the sky is blue, in fact today is the first "blue sky" day we have had in about twelve days! When I think of Spring, which arrives on the twentieth of this month, one thing I particularly enjoy is blue sky! It seldom fails to bring a smile to my face. Ever wonder just why the sky is blue? Stand by for the answer:

Sunlight is made up of many colors; That's why, when you pass light through a prism, you see a rainbow: the prism breaks up the white light into its component colors. When a stream of photons of all different colors comes into the atmosphere, the red, orange, yellow, and even green ones tend to get through unimpeded. But the photons that are more blue tend to get scattered off dust and other particulate matter in the air. The shorter (bluer) the wavelength of light, the more it is scattered. Ever notice how red brake lights on cars are easily visible through even a relatively dense fog? That's because red light scatters less. If brake lights were blue, you'd be having a lot more unexpected meetings with cars in front of you! Those scattered photons still get to the ground, and to your eyes, but they will come from some random direction (from wherever they were scattered last before they hit your eyes). So everywhere you look you see blue photons, except directly from the Sun, where you'll see all colors. This is why the sky is blue!

I must confess when I enjoy a blue sky I do not think of its scientific explanation, I just enjoy it! It means a day without storm or rain, it means a day of warm sunshine, a day to get out and enjoy the fresh air under God's great blue canopy. It is no wonder that the term "blue skies" has come to be a metaphor for feeling good. In 1946, Irving Berlin penned a tune that has been recorded by everyone from Bing Crosby to Willie Nelson entitled "Blue Skies." The lyrics picture a man on top of the world, in love and free of trouble, here is a sample:

Never saw the sun shinin' so bright
Never saw things goin' so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love, my how they fly

Blue days, all of them gone
Nothin' but blue skies from now on
(Blue skies smilin' at me
Nothin' but blue skies do I see)

Now for the bad news, not every day has blue sky. Not every experience of life is pleasant. Sometimes, it is not only the sky that is covered with overcast, it is not only the Sun that is dimmed by storm clouds. Now I cannot promise that every day will be "Nothin' but blue skies from now on," but I can show you how every day can be a blessing in spite of the condition of sky or soul. Nearly 3000 years ago the Psalmist wrote: "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). We must come to see each day as a unique gift from our God. It is a gift to be used wisely and well. To do so, this day must be lived for His glory and not our own, remember it is His day. To live for His glory means we must listen to, believe and obey His Word to us. Make that you goal this day and every day. If you do the sky may not always be blue but every day can be a blessing and cause for rejoicing when it is lived for Him!

Jesse Waggoner
Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church

©1997 Calvary Baptist Church

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