Glimpses of the glorious sun/Son

It was quite early in the morning on our last day of our week long vacation at the beach. I was out walking and enjoying the gentle sea breeze and the stillness that lingers so briefly just before the busyness of a new day. I walked with a heavy heart as I thought of and prayed for friends dealing with very difficult challenges--cancer, possible paralysis, loss of a loved one. I listened to God's Word on my ipod (technology is definitely good for some things!), but my heart asked "why, Lord?" "Why cancer? Why tragic death? Why paralysis?" The world can be such a hard, unforgiving place sometimes.

Most mornings at the beach I had been walking right on the sand by the ocean, but today the tide was too high so I was relegated to the sidewalk behind the houses and away from the ocean. A small disappointment...or so I thought at first.

As I walked, I noticed off to my left and up ahead a tinge of orange. I tried to look through the trees and to my astonishment, glimpsed just a tiny sliver of a brilliant pumpkin colored light coming up through the clouds. At first I didn't even realize what it was. And then it dawned on me--it was the sun coming up in all its' glory!

And glorious it was! As I walked along, I would catch snatches of it through the trees as it rose higher and higher in the sky. Now it was a giant, shimmering ball of orange fire, and it had pushed past the clouds and the trees that had been obscuring my vision. The water on the sound shown with a beautiful peach reflection. And at the end of the podcast I had been listening to, I heard a psalm of praise of how joy comes in the morning and how God turns our mourning into dancing!

I felt like Job! God had not answered my "why" questions. He had needed to--He simply gently reminded me of who He is and what He does and all He has and is creating.

Just as I could not see that brilliant sun for much of my walk, it was still there. Whether I saw it or not, it was there, shining in all its' glory! He is there--even when we cannot see Him or feel Him. But, O, how glorious the tiniest glimpses of that shimmering sun! Just a sliver here, a peach reflection there, a moment of seeing the ball of fire through the trees. I realized that is so often what I really perceive of the Lord of the universe--He is so far far above my thoughts, my understanding, my imaginings. But every now and then--whether through a worship service or a powerful song or a gorgeous glimpse of His creation or the tender love of a friend or the hug of a child or a powerful word from His Scriptures--I catch just the tiniest glimpse of His glory.

And it is so incredible, for it reminds me that we were not made for this world but for the next. And the view there will be glorious..all the time...for it will be filled with Him. No sorrow. No cancer. No paralysis. No divorce. No separation. No disease. No disappointment. No guilt. No aging. No death.

But glory! And the beauty of that flaming sun will be seen in everything and in everyone. I can't see that sun now. But I can remember. And I will remember that the One who fashioned that sun with a mere word is in control of ALL things, all circumstances, and all people. Whether we can see Him or feel Him, He is there. And one great day, we will see Him as He really is. And it will be glorious. So until that time, we wait and we trust and we remember. The sun is there shining in all its' glory, even when we cannot see it through the clouds or the rain or the storms. And so is The Son. Even now, with nail scarred palms open wide, He welcomes even the most wretched of the earth (like you and like me) and beckons "Come to me, all ye who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. For my burden is easy and my burden is light and I will give you rest for your souls."

Come, Lord Jesus. Come, brilliant, shining Son, come and to You be all the glory!