Musings on the greatness of God

I'm writing from my old bedroom, home of many memories.
As I write, I listen to Bach's Choral "Nun Komm' der Heiden Heiland." Enter: the reflective mood. I contemplate the brevity of life on this earth, the speed at which it is lived, and the memories that fade as we pass them by. As I was flying into Phoenix, then Albuquerque, then Midland (yes, Midland, as in Midland/Odessa, Texas), the view was magnificent, with much of the plain coated with a fine blanket of powder. Everything below looked so small. And I wondered. How small are we, really? God, who created all of this universe, and the infinite universe beyond our comprehension, is incomprehensibly Awesome. Truly, He alone is deserves that title.

Today I enjoy one of the days that He, in his mercy, has granted to me. Yet, so easily do I lose consciousness of the reality that every day I live is truly a magnificent gift of the Almighty. So easily do I get caught up in the trappings of this life and allow the little foxes to steal the treasures of heaven that lie just beyond my sight and grasp. So easily do I let relational fires sputter as I single-mindedly run the race to obtain that which makes empty promises to satisfy and please. As a member of the body of Christ, it's almost always easier for me to choose to be (or at least pretend to be) the appendix, than it is to look at fellow humans with the awe-inspired sense of compassion that comes from true recognition of our God's magnitude, majesty, and love. As with Christian and Hopeful in The Pilgrim's Progress, it's hard to take the difficult road, when an easier path appears to run parallel to it. Only when, a fair distance down the path, we are faced with life's storms do we realize there is a great fence separating the path we chose from the true path of life. It is then that we must retrace our path with tears and seek the true way.

My prayer for today is that: a) the desire for ease and the pursuit of personal gain will never control my life, and b) I will bask in the greatness of the Lord, and serve those around me with reverence and adoration for the One who gives each of us life.

Stuck

I'm enjoying the privilege of working an 80 hr. week and wondering if this is a mine and not a tunnel. I can't see any light yet, but I can't complain about the gold. I am probably going to go insane soon. Send your condolences to my family and your money to my mental institution. Hoping to get back out to Tahoe before the snow melts.

Civil War Revisited

I never realized the direct affect the Civil War would have on my life. But here I am, a Texan by birth, torn in the century and a half old struggle betwixt the north and south. It all started when my brother asked for a Civil War sword for Christmas and I went online to look for one. Half an hour later, I'm still sitting here struggling with the decision. Do I buy the Union version or the Confederate? After all, some of the Confederate blood that was shed belonged to our ancestry. But he asked for a Union sword. Yet, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson are heroes of the faith. Of course, rebels have taken advantage of the Civil War banner and those favoring the South tend to have a rebellious streak . . .

Light Filters

The blinds for my new office were finally installed yesterday. Since I have a second floor office on the southwest corner of a new office building (with no trees), and about 50% of my walls are composed of glass, the last month of working in the sun - all day long - has been somewhat of a small trial. However, I did hang Persian rugs over the windows to block the sun. Or maybe those were trash bags. Whatever.

Now that the blinds have been hung, however, I'm not so enthralled with them either. While they do block a lot of the sun, they're the see-through variety and the sun at this moment is heating the back of my neck and creating shadows on my computer screen. Oh well . . .

As was contemplating these matters, I thought of an analogy to spiritual life. We hang blinds in our hearts and minds to filter the Light of Truth. It's not that we want to block it out entirely; yet without the filters, its light blinds us and its heat cuts through our flesh. The filters provide a way for us to be warmed and to be in the presence of the Light without experiencing its full convicting power. I, for one, am guilty.

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." John 1:5-7