Sundog

From Wikipedia:

A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, for "beside the sun") is a common bright circular spot on a solar halo. It is an atmospheric optical phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection or refraction of sunlight by small ice crystals making up cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Often, two sun dogs can be seen (one on each side of the sun) simultaneously.

I couldn't think of a name for this blog and I remembered the first time I saw a sundog. I was in Florida and there were two dim little rainbow looking reflections in the sky on both sides of the sun. It looked sort of like the photo above, but they were much smaller (and there was a palm tree instead of a pine tree). They were barely noticeable but I happened to see them because I look at the sky a lot. I thought they were pretty cool and later found out they were sundogs.

Sundogs remind me of my ability to understand or imagine God. Even in moments of greatest clarity as I come closer to him and as I seek him, I only see a dim reflection... as in a bad mirror. I can't imagine what they used for mirrors 2000 years ago, but I'm sure they weren't very clear... even the ones from a century ago were pretty murky.

Those little sundogs, as beautiful as they were, are only a dim reflection of the awesome brilliance and power of the sun. My understanding of, and efforts to be like the perfect example God provided in Jesus Christ are just that… cloudy and skewed by an imperfect person that has been influenced by an imperfect world. I can only imagine coming face to face with him and knowing fully what I only vaguely imagine now.

Let this be my own little disclaimer regarding whatever I post here.

1 Corinthians 13:12 (ESV) For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.