Sharing a Sunset and More

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I have some thoughts about sharing to share with you today, but first let me mention that we have a brand new video for our continuing celebration of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s 155th birthday. Read about it about the bottom of this post. And now to share about sharing . . .

The sunset was breathtaking last evening. When Ray and I crossed a bridge on the way home, the river was reflecting its colors. I asked Ray to turn around and go back so I could take some photos. He was happy to do so and enjoyed it when I shared some of them with him. This was the first snap with my phone.

When I got back home, I texted the picture to our children and to some friends. One friend who lives several miles away, but still in our general area, quickly texted me back, sending me her picture of the same sunset, saying, “I pulled off and got one, too! ‘The heavens declare the glory of God.’ Makes me think of that verse.”

When I saw our local grandchildren last night, I asked if they had seen the sunset and they told me: “Daddy took some pictures of it.” I loved knowing that people I love in different places had all seen that sunset and that each had seen it as special, just as I did. As much as I love simply seeing a beautiful sunset, I love it even more when I can share that fleeting moment with others.

We human beings were created to share. I believe that God put a longing for that in our hearts. When we referee children squabbling over the same toy, it may not seem that they are born wanting to share, but they are. The same child who does not want to share a toy at a particular moment is the same child who says:

“Mama, look at my picture!”

“Daddy, do you know where we went to day?”

“Look, Granddaddy, I lost my tooth!”

Some people make us glad we shared a joy or sorrow with them. Others make us wish we’d kept our mouths closed. God wants us to be the first kind of people. He wants us to cultivate the ability to share what is most precious to us and what is most precious to others. It’s a trait we should help our children cultivate. While it is important to train children to share their toys, it is even more important to train them to share their joys and sorrows with others and to share in and care about the joys and sorrows of other people.

God inspired Paul to teach the Christians in Rome to:

Rejoice with those who rejoice,
and weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:15

See link to our brand new Laura Ingalls Wilder video below today’s Instagram meme.

I recently realized that we had never made a video about the setting of Little House on the Prairie, perhaps the best known of all of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. Ray and I visited it fourteen years ago, but things seem not to have changed very much there, so this week we used photos Ray and I took back then to put a video together. My mouth is still healing from the dental work I had last week, but I managed to get through my five minutes of talking. When I watch the video, I can tell that I am holding my mouth differently from usual. I am healing, but talking is still a challenge. I just wanted you who have watched our videos before not to worry about me if you happen to notice. You can watch this new video, The Ingalls’ House on the Prairie, here.

 

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