I guess most readers of these thoughts either go on holiday sometimes or used to do so. I wonder if you prefer to plan holidays to new places so that you can explore another part of the world, or whether you like to go to familiar places?
On one of my holidays this year I returned to Bude in North Cornwall, a place I have visited on at least 5 occasions, as it is a favourite holiday choice for some of my family. There is something very special about going back to somewhere you know well, where old memories come flooding back of times enjoyed years ago. My journey there was by train and then bus for the last hour from Okehampton. My excitement grew as the bus sped through the Devonian and Cornish country lanes. When would I see the sea, the rocky cliffs and 2 sandy beaches? Would the shop selling Cornish pasties still be there exuding the usual delicious smells, and the fudge shop where it’s so difficult to choose out of a number of delicious flavours? And then we reached the bus stop and a member of my family was there to meet me and the holiday had well and truly started.
Amongst all the attractions Bude has to offer its crowning glory has to be the sunsets. Facing due west, it offers wonderful views of the setting sun and we had to leave the table after our evening meal by 7.30/45 pm in order to start our walk along the cliffs before the sunset. I was there for 4 nights and on 2 of those it was too cloudy to see the sunset but the 2 we did see were wonderful. As the sun goes down it looks like it is literally sinking into the sea. An orange aura remains afterwards for a time but there is a sense of loss that the sun has disappeared and another day is over. Except of course the sun hasn’t gone, and it didn’t sink into the sea. The sun remains constant and it is our earth’s rotation that turns us away from the sun, only for it to reappear the next day. Having time on holiday to reflect on the wonderful orange ball that is our source of light and warmth as it set over the sea was a very special part of the holiday, and an inspiration to worship our God, the Creator of the universe.
The writer of Genesis sums it up in the first chapter,
” And God said ‘let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night’ —- God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the
light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good”
The 19th century hymn writer John Ellerton wrote the time honoured words, which I found myself reciting on the cliffs in Bude.
The day thou gavest Lord is ended
The darkness falls at thy behest
To thee our morning hymns ascended
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.
The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren ‘neath the Western sky
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.
We praise our God for his incredible gift of creation and for the wonderful life- giving light and warmth which the sun gives us. Amen