Be Utterly Amazed

My calendar's picture for August is a close-up of a blue dragonfly - a gorgeous shot of the colors of nature and the intricacies and details of God's creation. The picture includes a verse that reads:

"Look... and be utterly amazed." (Habakkuk 1:5)

What God does is amazing. His peace, His provision, His power - I am indeed utterly amazed.

Today I start classes as a senior in college. Just yesterday morning I was scared and nervous (and I'm not even a freshman!) of all that I had to get done and sad for the wonderful summer I was leaving behind. But as I write this, I feel so much better. Seeing some of my caring teachers again; realizing that I had plenty of time to buy textbooks, check-in and what-not; meeting up with old friends and meeting new ones - what was I worried about?

I know the days ahead won't always be easy. But I am so blessed, most of all in the knowing that God never leaves me and watches over my "going out" and my "coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore" (Psalm 121:8).

When my mom was here in Oregon with me for a couple of days before saying "good-bye," we went to Silver Falls State Park. If this place sounds familiar to you, it might be because I posted about it for a "Sunday by the Sea" post last year! In that post I talked about perspectives.

Perspective is so important, and something I still have so much to learn about. But looking back on some of the pictures I took of the falls this time, I am reminded again of how beautiful perspective can be:

To look ahead to the hope we have...

To look into the blessings we have been given...

To look above to the sovereignty of God...

To look back on the grace and love shown to us.

We are so blessed, are we not? So feel free to "look... and be utterly amazed."

(Want some help looking ahead to the hope we have? MaryLu Tyndall posted about hope this past Monday HERE!)

Sunday by the Sea

"O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life." ~ Psalm 42:6-8

We often speak of the waves of God's love and grace, of the goodness and mercy that wash over us. But it is likely that we, as believers, have also felt waves of uncertainty crash over us, as well. Consider what the author of Ecclesiastes ponders:

• "There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 8:14)

We want to know why disasters happen. We want to know why one person seems to suffer so much more than someone else. We want to know why God causes us pain.

I am reminded of the viking Stoick in the movie How to Train Your Dragon. He wanted so desperately to find the dragons' nest--the place where all the dragons returned to with their food (the vikings' sheep, the fish, etc.). In his quest to find the dragons' nest, he lost many of the village's ships (and most likely many human lives, as well). He always got lost and turned around, and his missions failed. But still, he fixated on the goal of finding that nest.

Stoick didn't understand the dragons. He didn't know what he was getting into by trying to find the nest.

But his son, Hiccup, realized that the dragons are far different than what they had seemed. In fact, some of them made wonderful friends. And he eventually discovered the nest because only a dragon could find it.

When his son inadvertently shared this information, Stoick forced Hiccup's dragon to lead him to the nest--an island with a dragon larger and more dangerous than they could ever have imagined (the "queen" of the "hive"). It is only with the help of other dragons that they had any hope of victory.

Now, in regards to knowing why God does what He does, I am not saying that we can manipulate Him to help us find the answer. And I am not saying that the answer is horrible and dangerous.

What I am saying is that I think we often don't realize how completely incapable we are of discovering the answer. In our quest for it, we get lost and disoriented. Ecclesiastes 8:17 says:

• "Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it."

From our earthly perspective, the answer seems like it really must be terrifying, more so than some gigantic dragon that can stomp ships, fly, and breathe fire. For how could such a loving God let us suffer in seemingly unnecessary ways?

But the truth is, that is just our perspective. I do not wish to seem callous and say that you should never ponder why God is allowing you to suffer and grieve. In fact, I believe with all my heart that we should speak honestly to God, as the authors of the Psalms did. We can tell Him how we perceive things to be; He cares and knows how much we are hurting. But realize that the "dragons" that seem so repulsive to you may not really be what they appear to be. Only God can see the whole lay of the land from His perspective far above. We are "earth-bound" and in no position to see how everything fits together.

Sometimes we get glimpses. Like riding on a dragon friend, we get an opportunity to fly above and look back, seeing just a small part of how God is working in our lives. Those moments--when we realize that a certain pain-filled path led us to an amazing place--are gentle reminders to our tender hearts that God does have a purpose. We can trust Him. He's the only One who can get us home, and He's the only One who can guide us through this journey and into the next.

So don't be overwhelmed by those waves. Day and night, may we pray and rest in His lovingkindness. May we remember that God does have a purpose. And therefore, we do have hope.

(Note: The movie picture is from IMDb.com.)

Sunday by a Waterfall

This past weekend with my parents was wonderful! We actually didn't end up going to the E.Z. Orchards HarvestFest because it was rather rainy here in Salem. However, we did go to Silver Falls State Park, which was beautiful, even in the rain!

While we were there, we spent most of our time at the South Falls, which had trails all around it. We could go on a trail behind it, above it, and around below it. And while I was there I was blessed by a look at perspectives.

As humans we are like a little droplet or stream of water that makes one small part of a big waterfall. Before we reach the big drop-off, we slowly meander along, unaware of what lies ahead. And then when we reach the edge, we see a free-fall that scares us and seems completely wrong. We can't see the big picture from our place within the waterfall.

But God sees it all--and far more than we can imagine. God sees the whole, beautiful waterfall. He can see where we are, the fear we have of the unknown that lies before us and the falls we have to go through. But He also sees how each little droplet comes together to form something both spectacular and awe-inspiring when seen in its entirety.

He sees the slow motion free-fall, and He sees the grandeur from a distance. And we can trust in His all-encompassing perspective that is so far beyond our own.

The falls we endure can be painful and difficult. But know that the entire waterfall God sees is stunning. He has a purpose for all of us, and the droplets of our lives come together in ways we can't even comprehend to form a living, powerful praise to God and His design.

This is just one small analogy, and it can't even come close to fully demonstrating the greatness of God's plan for our lives. But I just wanted to share with you the encouragement I received from witnessing one lovely and amazing part of God's creation.

"Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it."
~Ecclesiastes 8:17

(The picture above is of the South Falls and is from Salemoregon.com.)

Consider Your Perspective

This is a video I made to the song "Job" by Huckleberry Flint. It is a beautiful song, and I see it as a reminder to consider one's perspective on life. The pictures are ones that I took on family vacation in Oregon last summer. I hope you enjoy the video, and may it remind you of God's goodness and mercy!