Glory

Where do I see God’s glory? I see it in nature all the time. In Florida, I see it in the clouds (my nephew, David says, “Florida clouds have character!”) They can be flat and smooth, but most of the time they are towering and fluffy and I can almost always see people, animals, or familiar characters from cartoons in them. And then there are the times when they get dark and threatening and I’m treated to one of my favorite things: a thunderstorm. I’ve loved them since I was a kid, when we visited my mom’s family in the Carolinas. They’re especially wonderful at night – the flashes light up the sky for just that split second and then I wait, silently counting, for the crack of thunder. Some of the most interesting flashes happen when the lightning is cloud-to-cloud and the clouds themselves are briefly illuminated from within.

I notice God’s glory in the infinite variety of animals and plants that can be seen everywhere. I love watching nature shows and marveling at film of animals doing things that I will never see for myself in the wild. There’s always something new to learn and it thrills me when suddenly on the screen there is a creature I’ve never seen before – or a familiar one physically displaying a part of themselves that has always been hidden from me. Then there are the personal encounters. In the last year at our place in Florida I’ve had six different encounters with native snakes … three alive, three dead … just in the course of taking my walks/runs. Fortunately, I’m not afraid of them – cautious, yes, at least until I figure out whether they’re venomous or not. But each time I’m excited to see them. And then there are the little lizards. They’re actually anoles, which were sold in California when I was a kid as “chameleons”. They do change color, but not anywhere near as spectacularly as a true chameleon. Which, by the way, I’ve seen two of here in Florida over the last few weeks … so cool.

Finally, I see God’s glory in the stories of other people’s lives – the three young women in my life who have had little to no parental support and are not only surviving but moving forward, working to know Jesus better and achieve their goals. The friends I love who have had horrific and painful episodes in their lives, yet are tenaciously holding on to their faith, seeking healing, restoration and a brighter future. And in my own story … the episodes where I fell flat on my face in grief, fear and/or emotional anguish and he met me right there in the bottom of those valleys. Not only met me, but comforted me, gave me peace and helped me get up off the floor … and then encouraged me, and still encourages me to tell my story so others can feel less alone and reach out to grab help for themselves.

So, I guess I’d say if I look, if I pay attention, I can see God’s glory just about everywhere I am. He’s certainly not hiding it – it’s only my own clouded vision that keeps me from noticing.