Looking at the back side

This morning, timing worked out where I could stop at one of my favorite sunrise watching spots along Loop 322 to watch God's wonders unfold.  The view of the rising sun in the east was spectacular.

As I turned to get back in the car, I caught my breath as I looked off to the west.  The "back side" of the sunrise stunned me - different, yet so beautiful.

I guess it's human nature to look at the center ring, wherever it might be, and easy to lose focus on everything else. Sometimes it takes more effort to look for the glory on the back side - harder to see, not as obvious, requiring time and attention to the details.  And while the eastern view this morning was worthy, the 360-degree view tells the whole story of God's ever-encompassing love and care. 

It reminded me of the beautiful stanza from St. Patrick's "Breastplate" prayer (if you haven't read the whole thing lately, you should - it's inspiring):

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

Looking for Christ behind me - where often least expected - can be a challenge.  And when the obvious things, the things we hang on to for evidence of faith, fail us - and they will - sometimes the only place we can find solace is in the knowledge that there's nowhere we can go that Christ is not before and behind me.  No depths or heights could possibly remove me from Christ beneath me and Christ above me. I can have no experience where Christ fails to be in solidarity with me.  When I'm lonely, in the silence Christ is there.

Tonight God capped off the day with another one of his evening miracles.

He reminded me of two familiar scriptures that speak a word much like St. Patrick's prayer.  May they remind you as well that morning and evening, before and behind, God your Father, Christ your brother, and the blessed Holy Spirit are intimately caring for you, in ways obvious and other ways hidden on the back side.

...the LORD will watch over your coming and going 

both now and forevermore. 

(Psalm 121:8)

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.  

(Isaiah 58:8)