It had been raining nonstop in Gainesville for 52 years. Or at least that’s what it felt like to me. The peaches were drowning.

The radio weatherman sounded sarcastic as he read the forecast yesterday, as rain and then more rain, with a chance of drizzle and a heavy rain. It was funny and frustrating. I started making jokes about having a vampire boyfriend watching me sleep. I wish.

As I was driving home in the afternoon, I saw some slivers of blue sky. I got so excited, yall. I mean, I made a huge deal in the car, by myself. And that’s when I heard the sweet invitation to go watch the sunset with Jesus…

YES!

I started driving to the park, thinking the sunset was gonna look something like this…

Or maybe even like this…

Ya know, just average stunning sunset, no big deal. That’s what I’ve seen at that park. Jesus really turned it up, and having had that invite, I expected some fun colors, yeah?

As I pulled up and looked, it was pretty gray.

Cold.

Rainy.

Dark.

My place of wonder and beauty just yucky and damp.

He asked me to get out of the car, and walk to the end of the dock in the misty cold.

Ew.

I walked carefully all the way to the end, taking pictures because I knew I wanted to remember this.

As I stood on the edge, He said:
“Look, how beautiful!”

I was so confused. It didn’t feel or look beautiful. It was yucktastic at best. Clouds suffocating any color, the water dark, the wind was freezing.

Again, He said:

“It’s beautiful.”

I asked “What? I don’t see it! What do you see that’s so beautiful?”

And Jesus answered

“Your obedience.”

I found myself giggling like a schoolgirl, giddy that the Almighty God had just given me something sweeter than a colorful sky, warmer than a sunny day. He affirmed me. He trusts me.

I walked to my car with a skip to my step, knowing that sometimes the Lord brings me to places I don’t understand. He leads my feet to familiar edges, removes any other distraction to His voice, and He affirms my heart. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, right in the center of His will.

It rained. It was ugly. It was cold.
But Jesus was there with me.

Best date ever.