Psalm 8

glorious sunset * August 5, 2010

¹O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
²Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

³When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

⁵Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
⁶You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
⁷all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
⁸the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

⁹O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Of stars and swings and simple satisfactions

St. Augustine, Florida * October 2004

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. (Psalm 19:1)

One of my favorite aspects of Creation is the sky; I love sunrises, rainbows, pretty clouds, sunsets, and--most especially--stars. There is just something so amazing, so powerful, in these displays of God's glory, and it's awesome to think that the God who paints such magnificent pictures across the sky has said, "I have called you by name, you are Mine. . . you are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you."* Oh my goodness; wow. He who is the very essence of beauty and holiness and truth has called me, in all the wretchedness of my sin and the utter ugliness of my life apart from Him--He has called me and reconciled me to Himself through Jesus' death and resurrection, even before I had any inclination of my need for a savior.** What a beautiful, incredible, ridiculous truth (one that, unfortunately, I tend to lose sight of all too often). It's certainly beyond my ability to comprehend; all I can say is just wow.

Oh, praise the One who paid my debt

And raised this life up from the dead

Jesus paid it all

All to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow.

(Jesus Paid It All)

Amazing, amazing, amazing. And as if saving me and giving meaning to my life weren't enough, God continues daily to give me reminders of His love and of the fact that He is intimately involved in every aspect of my life. God loves to give His children good things; sometimes these gifts are big and obvious (like with all the incredible things He did to put together my trips to Haiti this spring), while other times they're more subtle, like a much-needed hug from a friend or "randomly" coming across a timely Bible verse or song lyric or line in a book (note: nothing is mere happenstance with God). Such simple joys, sometimes, and yet each one of these gifts is an expression of God's grace. I don't often enough recognize this and give Him the praise that He deserves, but every once in awhile, something in me clicks and I just can't help but be in awe of Him.

The other night (which was the original inspiration for this post, though--as usual--I'm getting there in a rather roundabout and unexpected manner), I had one of those beautiful moments when I was utterly and blissfully content, so thrilled by the simple pleasure of a viewing a lovely star-filled sky and swinging in a park at midnight with my brother (who was so kind as to accompany me on this impulsive excursion). Though this was not the most breathtaking glimpse of the stars that I've seen (nothing can compare to clear nights in Haiti, far from city lights, lying on a roof or in a field and feeling completely surrounded by the stars and galaxies), I nonetheless was so filled with joy as I swung through the cool night air and reveled in God's presence. I wasn't necessarily thinking great thoughts or praying profound prayers, I was just being--being with God and enjoying Him. Simple...but amazing. One of John Piper's well-known statements is that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him"--and what an incredible thing it is that He gives us so many opportunities and ways to be so satisfied.

* Isaiah 43:1,4

** Romans 5:6-11

I See You

This evening, I found myself going through boxes of old letters, photos, school papers and a variety of other things I've saved

over the years. As I pulled out different items, some brought smiles, others brought tears, and some just left me shaking my head sheepishly. Along with old journal entries and stories

written in elementary school, I found this poem that I wrote about 6 years ago, not too long after my best friend/foster brother, Junior, died. It was my freshman year of college, and I can remember sitting on the terraced steps behind the Reitz Union at the University of Florida, attempting to sort out my jumbled emotions. I deeply missed Junior and I was feeling overwhelmed by life, but at the same time, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was with me---that He always had been and always would be. Though I'm clearly not much of a poet, this poem came out of that time and, if not eloquent, at least expresses the truth that God is present even in the midst of hard times, and He is always faithful to care for His children. So, for what it's worth, here it is:

I see You

In the never-fading smile of a young man

Too sick to leave his bed but

Who clings to You as the source of his strength.

I feel You

In the cool autumn breeze that

Dances through the air and

Sends brightly colored leaves fluttering to the ground.

I hear You

In the laughter of children ringing

Out through the cracks of mud huts

Finding joy in the midst of poverty

Lord, You are here

Surrounding me with Your love

Too great for me to comprehend.

Lord, You are here

Giving meaning to my life

As only You can do.

I see You

In the beauty of the sunset, fading

Quickly into night, revealing

Your glory in the heavens.

I feel You

In the gentle touch of a friend

You've sent to encourage me

As I struggle through life's uncertainties.

I hear You

In the silence of a beautiful moment

When I am reminded to

Be still and know that You are God.

Lord, You are here

Amazing me with Your glory

So incredible to see.

Lord, You are here

Bringing healing to my heart

That's broken without You.