Skylights

I am not a fan of skylights.
It is an odd thing to say when we have two sets of skylights in our house.
One set of skylights is in our family room.
The other set is in our bathroom upstairs.

If truth be told, I do enjoy the bathroom skylights at night.
I am quite partial to the moon and can follow its waxing and waning in those skylights.
I can notice when the moon is hidden by the clouds for a bit.
I can see the stars.

The skylights in our family room are another matter altogether.
Our family room faces south, which requires a tilting of the blinds in the afternoon.
Nothing could be done about the bright sun that shone through the skylights.
I positioned myself somewhere in the room where the sun didn’t shine in my eyes.

We did not build this particular house, though the couple who did build it, had similar tastes.
All the wood is stained rather than painted.
Hardwood floors fill the living room, dining, room, foyer, and upstairs hallway.
The same Wedgwood blue rugs, that we had chosen in our previous house, were here as well.

Someone remarked that they were surprised that our blue rugs never faded in the sun.
We knew the windows had been treated for sun protection, which apparently did the job nicely.
The rugs were not faded, nor was the leather furniture.
However, one thing faded and one thing alone.

My oldest daughter moved into a big girl bed before her sister was born.
We bought twin beds that could be turned into bunk beds.
I purchased adorable comforters with bears that looked very much like her Teddy.
The bears wore red overalls and were called Gear Bears.

I even found an actual Gear Bear to match the comforters.
It was that Gear Bear who was placed on a wicker settee on the fireplace hearth.
There he sat as a watchman and was played with from time to time.
The Gear Bear went back on his wicker settee after play was done.

One day, when I saw him on the rug, I noticed his colors didn’t match.
I picked him up and saw that the back of him was the original warm brown with red overalls.
However, the front of him was faded and the red overalls were dingy.
I never noticed as he sat as a watchman on his settee but the poor thing faded in the sun.

There was nothing I could do to get his original color back.
The rugs and furniture were unchanged, but the poor bear had changed.
It was then, I asked my husband if we could get shades for the skylights.
He likes skylights and would have them everywhere if he could, but he agreed for my sake.

To appease him, when the honeycomb shades were installed, I left them open a sliver.
Just enough that he could see some sky, but not enough to damage anything.
I thought of all this because we need to replace the shades again after all these years.
The man who loves sunroofs in cars and skylights in ceilings has agreed again for my sake.

And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
(Mark 9:1-7)

Can you imagine what Peter, James, and John saw that day on the mountain?
Jesus in dazzling brightness.
Jesus, the way He really looks in all His glory and splendor.
His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.

The sun coming through the skylights needs to be tamed.
Tilting blinds on the windows and installing shades on the skylights were necessary.
Sun so bright that a little bear was terribly faded.
Sun so bright I had to move to places in the room where it was not in my eyes.

Jesus is brighter.
Jesus is glorious.
Jesus is dazzling.
One day we will see Him as He really is…and we will not have to shade our eyes.

Can you imagine?