We took a break from our regular schedule yesterday. September and October are usually beautiful days at the beach, and we took a day off to drive eighty miles to the Oregon coast, anticipating clear, sunny beach weather. Instead of clear blues skies, we were greeted with fog. The sun did not come out all day. It was alright, though, for we had our getaway. We strolled through the little town, walked the beach, and enjoyed lunch at the only restaurant. We drove only thirty or so miles east away from the coast, and the sun popped out and rewarded us with the clear blue sky we’d anticipated earlier.

On our way home, we stopped to visit family who live halfway between our home and the beach. We enjoyed catching up, lounging in their back yard in the balmy late afternoon. We had dinner on the rooftop of the hotel in their small town. The view on top was beautiful and right beyond, I watched the sun.I’m not sure why the sun was such a bright reddish orange, this photo really didn’t produce what my eyes saw, but it’s the best I could do. The colors were impossible to truly capture, but here’s what I saw:

A few moments later, the sun began sinking into the horizon and this:

At last I could capture the red sun! We needed to return home and as we drove in the darkness, the full moon rose. For thirty miles, I had my phone/camera all ready to snap another beauty: a blood moon. I waited and waited for an opportunity that never came during the drive. There was always a street light, power lines, other cars or something in the way. When we arrived home, I tried one last time to take an image:

Of course my phone camera could not capture the orangish moon in the sky.

Is that what we do in life? Keep watching in vain for the perfect shot? For something that most likely won’t happen? Instead of just enjoying the beauty right in front of us? I’m comforted by a verse in Philippians I read this morning, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead..

Do we keep looking for the perfect shot like I was yesterday, when what my mind remembers is so much better? I decided to go to a professional and here’s what they captured with a much better camera:

Last night, instead of trying to get the ideal picture, I should have relaxed and enjoyed the sight. It was right there in my view for more than an hour. With a few clicks, I found the above on the internet. So easy. So quick. Is that what we often do in life? Keep looking for a perfect photo, or circumstance when we should just enjoy the moment? I hope I’ve learned from that experience last night. Enjoy the moment. Bask in the beauty.