You are on a solitary hike in the mountains. It’s an early day in spring, it is warm, the sky is deep blue and wild flowers are everywhere. In short, it is a perfect day and you alone are there to witness this bit of God’s handiwork. There should be a crowd, a huge crowd, the largest in the world to see this and feel the beauty of the day. But it is just you, and you sit and soak up the perfect scene, and you thank God.
You are on a casual walk in the woods, and the path has brought you out onto a playground. In the distance, a young father kneels before his small son, who is sprawled on the ground crying. The father gently lifts the son to his feet, and kisses the bruised knees. Even from this distance you can tell that the child has stopped crying and he is giggling. The father gathers the child in his arms. Moments later, the child is on his father’s shoulders as they leave the park. In your heart you know you just witnessed God’s love in action. The beauty of the moment is real and you soak up the perfect scene. Thank you, God.
You stand on the south rim of the Grand Canyon and the incredible beauty of this scene is hard to take in. You have been here before, but this time your attention is on a young man, your grandson, who is seeing this creation of God for the first time. The look of wonder, awe and joy is outlined on his face. The scene brings tears of joy to your eyes. The beauty of the moment is real and you soak up the perfect scene. Thank you, God.
Loss of a loved one. Grief enfolds you like a rough blanket. You feel lost. Then you recall one of the special moments, this one in Yellowstone. Just you and your loved one, a picture of the two of you, with Bridal Veil Falls in the background, and the memory of that special moment is like a message from where she is waiting for me, and the sharpness of the grief parts for a while. The beauty of that moment was real and you soak up the memory of that perfect scene. Thank you, God.
We need these moments, we need to see these moments and appreciate them. We need to see these moments and soak them up tuck them away in our memory so they are available when we need a moment.
Sometimes those moments are filled with people, children, interaction between parents and child can be some of the most beautiful scenes. Maybe a basket of puppies or kittens or baby birds can brings tears to your eyes. Maybe what catches your attention are cloud formations right there above you, streaming past. Or, maybe all you need is the touch of a loved one, as her hand finds your hand and for some stupid reason you find tears of joy in your eyes, and you laugh together.
Whatever fills your heart with joy, treasure that. Whatever causes you to reach out to a friend or a loved one, treasure that. Whatever causes you to feel compassion and to take action, treasure that. These are all moments of beauty, these are all creations of God. These are all messages for you to treasure. Thank you, God.
God’s moments, moments of beauty, fleeting images, each one a blessing, each one a message from God reassuring us that he is in charge, and he loves us, and all is right with the world. Amen.
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