Sunsets and Seasons of Our Lives – Stuart Segall
Recently I took this photo of a sunset on a trip and I spent time reflecting on the days of our lives and our sunsets.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2 (NIV) states, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
Sunsets symbolize the end of the day, a moment of transition from light to darkness. Similarly, the later stages of life can be filled with LIGHT in the form of wisdom, memories, and unique beauty. Just as sunsets are fleeting, life’s final chapters are fast, fleeting and so transient.
People pause to watch sunsets, reflecting on the day’s events or contemplating life. They provoke thoughts of a sense of wonder and introspection.
As we age, we naturally reflect on our experiences, relationships, and choices. The twilight years offer an opportunity for deeper contemplation.
Sunsets mark the end of one day and the beginning of another.
My experience in grief counseling is that most people in the final stages of life come to a gradual acceptance of mortality. It’s a time to find closure, make peace with regrets and appreciate the journey.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJ) “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Yes, even in the sunset times, it is a time to give thanks. There is a master plan for eternity to give thanks for.
The colors in a sunset—warm oranges, pinks, and purples—represent different emotions. Orange signifies hope, pink represents love, and purple suggests mystery. Similarly, life’s final season is colored by emotions—joy, love, nostalgia, and sometimes sadness. Each hue contributes to the overall tapestry of existence. So. then the sun disappears below the horizon, leaving a sense of mystery about what lies beyond.
My mind then travels back to 1 Thessalonians 5 again where in verse 5 we are told “You are all sons (children) of light and sons (children) of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.” Then we are encouraged in verse 9-10 “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”
The end of life is reaching the horizon. Then we continue to read more here in verse 11 “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” Our Lord wants us to know what is going on and to find comfort and consolation as the sun is setting.
So, sunsets serve as poignant reminders of life’s impermanence, beauty, and the need to appreciate each fleeting moment. Just as sunsets vary, some fiery, and spectacular, some are intense, others soft and gentle—so do our individual life stories. Whether it is our story or someone else’s we are observing, don’t miss the sunset. Give it time and appreciation.
Stuart Segall lives about an hour north of Seattle. He has spent most of his adult life counseling, encouraging, inspiring and uplifting others.
Plain Truth Ministries | Box 300 | Pasadena, CA 91129-0300
