It was an emotional day filled with self reflection. The message at church this morning talked about the majesty of God and how his majesty fills all the earth. It’s everywhere if we choose to notice; if we slow down enough to recognize it. He’s in nature. He’s in the tears we cry when we’re sad or lonely, or happy. He’s in the first breaths of a newborn baby.
Immediately after church we received word that my boyfriend’s sister lost a dear friend to cancer last night. We went and visited with his sister and her friend’s family. With the message from church fresh in my mind, I wondered where God might be in this situation. He was there. He was in the compassion and tears each of them shared as they discussed memories of Carolyn and the joy and laughter she brought to their lives. In times of loss, people pour out their comfort and love on others. They cry when they see others hurting. They offer hugs of support to help fill the void and bring healing. The majesty of God was there, conveyed by the people who shared messages of love and comfort, including the hospice nurse who spoke of being “blessed” for knowing Carolyn and working with the family. She said helping people in their dying days was her “calling.” She displays God’s majesty to people in their time of need.
Driving home, my boyfriend and I discussed Carolyn’s life and death, and how she clearly left a positive, lasting impression with many people. She loved to laugh — and her laugh was contagious. She loved to travel. She loved people. And she loved life. She didn’t live extravagantly but she had everything she needed. She will be dearly missed. Her orders to those who mourn her passing, “Buck Up!”
If I thought God wasn’t a part of the afternoon, I received a wake-up call driving home. We passed a sign that said “Psalm 46:10.” I knew the verse. It made me realize he was there. The verse says, “Be still and know that I am God.” My need to analyze the situation and figure out how God was working subsided. He’s there. And he will be there beside the family and friends who mourn. He’ll be wiping their tears and comforting them in the coming days when it’s hard to Buck Up.
The morning and afternoon caused me to be pretty introspective. What will happen when my time comes? Who will take care of me? And where else can I see and feel God? I headed for the barn. Self reflection and horseback riding go hand in hand. For me, I most realize the majesty of God when I’m riding my horse alone in the park. Today I rode noticing the singing of the birds, the clouds in the sky, the colors of the flowers and the movement of Ernie’s muscles more than I have in the past. God was there, of course.
God’s majesty is revealed in the beginning and the end of each of our lives and all the moments in between. He’s revealed in our relationships. In nature. In our staying home and our going out. Will you look for him in your every day? How is he working and moving and being in your life? Choose to notice.
