Glimpses of His Glory

Early in the morning before the phone starts ringing and the demands of the day begin pressing all around, I love to curl up in my favorite glider rocker and just think.  The darkness covers everything, but a soft light gradually steals into the room.  The house is quiet, not yet fully awake.  With my back to the lace-covered bay window, I gaze out the sliding glass window to the south.  The branches of the mulberry trees arch toward earth, heavy with their fruit.  A bright red cardinal hops from one branch to another, calling to his mate.  A small, sky blue birdhouse, its door flanked by two birch twigs, hangs from the mulberry tree.  A tiny wren flits about, and then dives into the miniature house.  The potted plants on the patio steps provide a splash of color:  red, trailing geraniums, brilliant against the white pots.  Arching asparagus ferns reach toward the patio.  Bright yellow moss roses, a hint of red at their centers, peek from beneath the greenery.  My cat Tigger prowls, seeking prey.  The birds chatter and chastise him, but they need not fear.  He is too fat to catch them.

As I sit, still and quiet, contemplating the early morning peace and the beauty of nature, I sense the presence of God.  It is in this setting, when I sit quietly and let my mind wander, that I can hear God’s still, quiet voice speaking to me.  In this calm, contemplative state, I open my heart to hear His voice.  In the quiet, before my mind races with obligations and responsibilities, I watch.  I listen.  He responds.  He makes His presence known.  Some mornings I meditate on His greatness.  Other mornings I listen to worshipful music.  As the beautiful notes wash over my soul, and the words seep into my heart, they speak volumes of God’s power, majesty, and grandeur.  When I open my Bible, God speaks to me through the written word.  Passages I may never have noticed before nearly jump off the page.  “Listen to My words,” God says to my heart.  “These words are my special message, just for you, just for today’s circumstances.”  As I ponder the words, I feel Him in the room, His love washing over my entire being.  I cherish this time with God.

Too soon, it is time to scurry about and prepare for the busy day ahead.  I would love to take these special moments with me and live in this state forever, but I know I cannot.  Even though I wish I could, I am unable to have this lengthy quiet time on a daily basis.  Too often, my quiet time with God is far too short.  But I realize that He does not intend for me to live entirely on the mountaintop experiences of His love; He wants me to spend time in the valleys.  For it is only in the valleys that I can share these experiences with others.  It is only in the valleys that others can see God’s presence in me.  It is only in the valleys that I can learn and grow.  So I go about my everyday tasks, longing for insight into more of God’s grandeur.  Someday I know I will see Him face to face; someday I will behold, in full, His glory; someday I will go to the mountaintop where I will bask in His presence for all eternity.  In the meantime, I obediently walk in the valleys and try to stay content with occasional glimpses of His glory.

Lord of my life, thank you for the mountaintop experiences and for the walks in the valley.  In your wisdom, allow each experience to mold me into your image.

 

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

White Whispers

It started with mere whispers of white. Tiny snowflakes fell from the sky, dusting the ground. At first glance out the window, it didn’t appear to be snowing, merely overcast. On a closer look, however, I realized the smallest of flakes filled the wintry sky. With such small flakes, it didn’t seem that more than a trace of snow would accumulate on the ground.

When I next looked out the window, about an hour later, I noticed about ½ inch of the white flakes covering my front sidewalk. Before long, the flakes grew fat and full, filling the sky with a flurry of white. The snow fell so thickly I could barely see the buildings across the street.  By day’s end, five inches of snow coated my yard, the driveway, and the street in a spotless blanket of white.

On the evening news, forecasters predicted more snow overnight. They were right.  When I looked out the window in the morning, I could hardly believe my eyes. Every surface on our patio sported huge mounds of white, towering like volcanoes into the wintry day. One of the two steps down to our patio had completely disappeared, buried under white crystals. Eight more inches had fallen overnight and more fell that afternoon, giving us a total snowfall of over 14 inches.

That afternoon I tramped around the yard in knee-deep snow, trying to capture the beauty of the white-frosted yard with my digital camera. Everywhere I looked my eyes feasted on loveliness. As my boots sank through the snow, I noticed the lack of noise. The snow muffled sound as if the whole neighborhood were wrapped in a fluffy cocoon.

The world slowed. Schools cancelled classes, meeting dates changed, businesses closed. For a few days our winter-wrapped world was muted. Still. Slow. Quiet enough to hear the tiniest of whispers.

Only when I allow my soul to be still can I hear the voice of God’s heart whispers. When I first take time for solitude, I later hear that still, small voice through the busiest and loudest of circumstances.

Father God, still me. Slow me down. Let me listen to your soul whispers.

Psalm 46:10a “Be still and know that I am God.”

Listening to the Stream

At first glance, the stream appears motionless, its shallow green waters merely reflecting the overarching canopy of green. But here by the bridge, rocks litter the stream’s bed, and its water comes to life. Its meandering impeded, the stream ripples, bubbles, and rushes. The currents ripple and swirl around the rocks and fall over submerged stone, plunging to a lower level, leaving bubbling foam at the base of the mini-waterfall. I sit by the side of the stream listening to its gurgling, allowing the water’s chaos to soothe my soul.

God’s spirit flows through my life like a stream. At times it moves so quietly I scarcely notice its motion. But once life’s difficulties obstruct my way, I take more quiet time to listen carefully for God’s spirit rushing through my life. When I sit quietly, watching and listening, I have eyes to see and ears to hear His spirit moving in my life.

Lord, help me to be inwardly still during crises and during calm times, that I may better acknowledge you and your work in my life.

Psalm 46:10a “Be still and know that I am God.”