Have you ever had one of those days where there were beautiful things all around you throughout the day? I saw many beautiful things today, but only one of them truly brought me to tears.

I recently had one of those days. I woke up to an Arizona sunrise, if you have never seen one, they are breathtaking. Few photographers can capture it’s beauty, and even then, it’s only a copy. But that wasn’t the most beautiful thing I saw all day.

Our granddaughter had been spending the week with us and it was time for her to fly home. Watching her sweet soul walk around our home that morning and say goodbye to our animals and assure them she still loved them even though she was going home, and then hugging her grandpa goodbye was a beautiful sight. But it wasn’t the most beautiful thing I saw all day.

Our daughter had been to the doctor earlier that morning for an ultrasound of the new life growing within her. The intricate hands and feet there in photo form for us to see. And although I am excited to be a grandmother for a second time, even that was still not the most beautiful thing I saw all day.

I flew to Cincinnati and dropped our granddaughter, Abigail, off with her momma. Got back on an airplane and flew back home. Storms made for a bumpy ride landing in Phoenix and then I got to drive home. Hurricane Hilary had begun to make her way into our state. I drove through the middle of the storm with darkest clouds I’ve ever witnessed…the rain saturating the thirsty desert. I was shocked when I saw lightening that illuminated the sky like a starburst. I had never seen it before. Then, I looked further to the north and there was a blue spot in the sky with white puffy clouds beaming from behind from the reflection of the sun, and a double rainbow over the Superstition Mountains. The two settings, right in front of me, were such polar opposites of each other. It made me think of how not everyone is in a sunny spot in their lives; some are in the thick of the darkness and storms of life-but that is a blog post for another day…. And that still wasn’t the most beautiful thing I saw all day.

When Abigail and I were waiting for her mom she was so excited. She was keeping her eyes focused on the walkway which she knew was the direction her mom would be coming from. As soon as she spotted her mom she ran as fast as her little legs could take her, running with abandon to the one she knows loves her unconditionally. When my daughter picked Abigail up, she was rubbing her eyes and asked, “momma, why are my eyes leaking?” Oh to witness the emotion of the two of them reuniting after being away from each other for the last ten days. It caused me to pause and consider how God must want us to run with abandon to him and weep because we are so grateful to be by His side. And as you may have guessed by now, THAT was the most beautiful thing I saw that day.

Who do you run with abandon to when life is dark and stormy or when its sunny and beautiful?