Background. Do you ever get too busy where the closest relationships to you seem to get strained? When we get to this point we find it healthy to suspend what we are doing for a bit but it takes a decision that something is more important than the list of things left to be done. The day for us had not gone smoothly, so we chose to take a little drive to the top of Blue Ridge and watch the moon rise after sunset.
The Scene. We sat together overlooking the Rockfish Valley. Other than occasional traffic in and out of the overlook, it was quiet and still. The moon was about 10 degrees up from the horizon but mostly covered with low clouds. As we settled ourselves, calmed our hearts, and took some time to talk about what was in front of us, the clouds evaporated and the temperature began to drop. We identified some constellations but as it became clearer the moonlight became dominant except for Jupiter, which popped out of the low altitude haze. The sketch was done near the end of our 2-hour break. By then ground fog was developing in the valley which was lighted by the moon. We unhurriedly talked during most of the time.
The Exhortation. Love one another. It sounds simple, but the profound command from Jesus is addressed to believers in him–people with a deposit of his life inside them. Without the enabling power he brings to our strained lives, we are just as quick to dismiss each other (or worse) than love each other. The evening was not the first and will not be the last where we needed to lay aside the weights in us or around us to love each other. This is pretty much true for any one. It does help, however, to choose to do something so you have a reason to talk or engage each other. For us, the simple act of sitting and observing his creation was enough. We talked about the near-conjunction of Jupiter and the moon, the layout of the ground fog as it formed in the valley, and the wonder of an extraordinarily peaceful scene. It cost a couple dollars of gas and 3 hours but the value of the time was so much more.
