When I was young, there were a series of episodes where I began to increasingly think for myself; to wonder about things, often for hours at a time. Perhaps it was just a phase, perhaps not. I doubt if I will ever know with any certainty. Somehow, I became interested in the sky, as if it contained answers to my deepest longings. Questions, like "Why am I here", "does life have meaning" and "Will God ever send me someone to love" were but a few of my musings. So, I continue to look at the sky to this very day, although I have found many answers to my earliest queries. Somehow, this passage from the book of Acts came into my thinking and it just seems to "fit"; see what you think...
Acts, Chapter 1
1 The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2 until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom. 4 Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5 For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
9 When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, 11 who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
In all my years of sky watching, I have never seen the "Raspberry" sky of this picture. And over the years, I have looked for every unusual picture I could find. Every new picture or sight in the sky just adds to the wonder of creation for me; enhances my life in some small way. So, after all this, it becomes easy to understand why the Apostles continued to stare at the sky. They thought Jesus would come back immediately. At least I think so. When this will happen; I have not one clue, but like them, I will keep looking for the day when Jesus comes back to Earth. As far as how I feel about all this can be summed up in one word--- Maranatha!!! And I don't give a hoot what the sky looks like at the time!!!