It ain’t over ‘til it’s over

Last week we enjoyed a few days of mid-winter warmth and sunshine, so I took advantage of that to walk around the Lunsford Trail at ACU after work. I was hoping for a beautiful sunset to accompany me!  Started out southbound and discovered fairly quickly that I had ensured my back would be to the sun most of the trip (i.e., mistake). We had some high clouds that were promising, but buildings obscured my view, and it looked like clouds close to the horizon were going to mess things up, so I just kept walking.  As I returned to home base, I thought sunset was over, but I decided to walk to the far side of the pond to stretch and cool down.  Then I turned around and the miracle began in earnest! First, bright red touched the tips of the clouds, then it expanded to the whole sky. Even the pond turned red as it reflected the glory overhead.  If I’d just gotten into my car and headed home, I would have missed it!

ACU's Faubus Pond, with the Hunter Welcome Center in the background

Sunrises and sunsets are like that.  They often unfold over an extended period of time, sometimes 30-40 minutes from start to finish.  There will be flashes of brilliant color, but those rarely last the whole time. Much of that 30-40 minutes will seem somewhat pedestrian compared to the times of magnificence.  Sometimes there are the cloudy days that seem colorless and endless. But even when it’s “over,” there is more glory yet to come – the beauty of a blue sky filled with cotton ball clouds, or the splendor of the Milky Way, or the rain that the clouds might bring.

Life is like that, too. Ups, downs, twists, turns - often more grey clouds than sparkling red and gold.

I think that’s why passages from 2 Corinthians resonate in our hearts. Paul must have been thinking about God’s glory and how it is revealed in the lives of women and men when he wrote these words:

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:17-18)

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Cor. 4:6-7)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4:17-18)

So many days I don't feel glorious! So many mistakes, so many flaws, so many dreams unfulfilled. The amazing news is that God is in charge of glory! He's the Glory-Giver, Transformer, User-of-Clay-Jars, Renewer. He sees the glory unseen to us, the final result that is hidden from our eyes for the present time. He even sees glory in what we would view as the least glorious parts of our lives - the things we would rather hide - because He knows that those things, too, are part of what is bringing us to glory in reality.

So if you're having a hard time seeing the glory in yourself this week, take hope in the glimpses of glory in the world around you. God's work isn't over in you, and His purposes for you will prevail.

Evening lullaby

In that stillness that comes but rarely to the land of wind,
     a blue heron stands like a statue,
          pondering the universe from the shallows of the lake,
               nature mirrored in beautiful symmetry
                    beside the paralleled images of man-made giants
               stretched out across the water's surface.
          As the deepening shadows move from gold to pink to blue,
     Father tucks us in with a soft blanket of color
and gently sings us to sleep.

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

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)

On the wings of the wind

In west Texas, the wind is a reality of daily life. Winter winds cut like a knife, encountering little resistance from topography or trees. Summer winds can feel like a blast furnace when combined with 100-degree temperatures. But spring....spring winds bring all kinds of things! Sometimes they come ahead of thunderstorms, other times leading one of those surprise cold fronts (isn't winter over?). Today they were steady all day, 30-40 mph. I complained and prepared for the great brown-ness that happens when Lubbock blows in to town. However, today God treated us to a beautiful show of his splendor all day long. It began with a beautiful sunrise.

The clouds swirled throughout the day in massive formations, moving, growing, reconfiguring moment by moment.

And then tonight -30 spectacular minutes of sunset, moonrise, and birdsong as the winds began to settle down for the night.

The psalmist who wrote Psalm 104 must have understood my plight. Physical metaphors and comparisons are insufficient, though he really tries!

Praise the LORD, my soul.

   LORD my God, you are very great; 

   you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment; 

   he stretches out the heavens like a tent 

   and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. 

He makes the clouds his chariot 

   and rides on the wings of the wind. 

He makes winds his messengers,

   flames of fire his servants. 

(Psalm 104:1-4, NIV)

Today, all I could do was stand in the presence of the One who rides on the wings of the wind, feel his messengers brush my cheeks and ruffle my hair, and cry, "Glory!"

Beginnings

"For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise."

These words inspire the beginnings of this journey in word, combined with images that help tell the story of the wonderful, powerful, artistic, caring God we serve.  

King David felt awe and gratitude when he stated:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (Psalm 19:1)

In the days to come, we will think together about why the beauty of the earth matters so much, especially to me and to others who are struggling through desert times or other difficulties.  if you have photos, I would be happy to share them here if you'll tell me what they have meant to you.  Until then, do me a favor - look up at the skies!  Look down at the small beauties many miss.  Look around at the faces of those made in God's image.  Imagine that they are sweet gifts from someone who loves you dearly.  And that is what they are.

Grace and peace,

Rendi