The sun is still shining!

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:44-48

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:5

'Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,' nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.' " Revelation 7:16-17

When I go out and see that there is a sunny day, I remember how much God has been good and merciful with us. I remember what Jesus said that He makes the sun shine on the righteous and unrighteous. I think about so much cruelty that there is on this earth, and God still makes the sun shine on us all. He still sends sun, rain and life, with such abundance. He still loves us unconditionally, whether we scream with Him, deride him, whether we get back to Him and ignore that He exists. Whether we accuse Him for all suffering that there is on this earth that we ourselves have dominated, transformed and destroyed. He still keeps up his promise of forgiveness and freedom for those who simply seek for Him with a humble heart and accept the reconciliation that He gave us grace in Christ.

I know that any act of goodness or justice in my life is fruit of his Spirit, that in me there is so much weakness and injustice, and that I do not deserve to be here living it all. But all this is a demonstration of his love and mercy. That there is no merit in loving my daughter for being my daughter, whether we live in a world where, unfortunately, many have forgotten even to love their own children... He doesn't want us to compare ourselves to others to consider ourselves righteous, but with Jesus.

And for Jesus, true love is to forgive those who trespass against us, who doesn't understand us, who mocks us or our loved ones. When I think about it, I remember to thank the sun shines on the righteous and unrighteous, because the sun shines on us. Because I'm still not perfected in love.

I am so thankful because we have started last month in the ICU with our daughter in critical condition, intubated, attached to several wires and in great pain, and today she is fine and can go for a walk in the hot sun that shines and reminds us of God's unconditional love. Which reminds me of the promises that one day He will be our sun and He will wipe away the tears from our eyes for all the suffering we faced here.

I know for some people this may look very nice, but utopian... but we have seen the replies of this God in our lives, a God truly alive and very close, much bigger and more powerful than we can ever imagine or describe. He who laughs and cries with us, who does not not give up on us, who has compassion and listens to our prayers.

In this God we are grateful.