WATCHWORD:
35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. John 12:35-36
Give to the Lord the glory that is due His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:2
Meditation:
Ordinary Times
More than six years ago I wrote an essay entitled “Moments of Beauty” which I posted on my website. The focus of the writing was on the gifts from God that come in ordinary times. Samples —
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. Thank you, God.
You are on a casual walk and the pathway has brought you out to a point where you can see a playground, in the distance. There, a young father kneels before his small son, who is sprawled on the ground crying. The father gently lifts the son to his feet, kisses the bruised knees. Even from this distance you can tell that the child has stopped crying and is giggling. The father gathers the child in his arms. Moments later they leave the park, the child is now on his father’s shoulders. 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.
Can you relate? We all have moments, ordinary times, where the scene before you seems to overwhelm your senses and sparks within you are a feeling of joy. There are times when we feel better than ever before and we feel like we can tackle anything and wish that the moment would last.
We are not meant to live on those magic moments, those times of insight, or times of beauty and awe, all gifts from God. And yet, we should not let the moment pass and evaporate into our memory. Don’t place yourself as an observer, wondering what it would be like to have this constant, wonderful state of mind, this feeling of joy with you at all times. Act immediately, do something, even if your only reason to act is that you would rather not.
If God shows you something to do, or to say, or to reach out, don’t say ‘I’ll do it’, just ‘Do it!’. Pick yourself up by the back of the neck and shake off your laziness. Laziness is often born of wishing to stay on the mountaintop. We must learn to live in the ordinary times, those days when nothing seems to be going on and yet there is beauty and we are gifted by God’s grace.
When God has gifted you with a beautiful scene, an expression of love, or an opportunity to change another’s life, act according to your will, in line with God’s. Make sure your decisions are in light of what you saw and learned on the mountaintop or from the beauty of the scene or from witnessing love in action. These are all God’s tutorials. So be it.
Prayer Based on Psalm:
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:
Help us,Heavenly Father, to appreciate the beauty of Your creation, in all of its forms, that surrounds us every day. May we never take your gifs and graces for-granted. Amen.
