The closest I have felt to God happened many years ago. I stood on a cliff in Santa Barbara on a windy June morning, majestic waves crashing below me, the sea and sky expanding out into eternity, and it was simply… awesome.
Not awesome as in “everything is awesome” from the Lego Movie (thank goodness). Awesome like the way an artist’s soul seems to live inside her work. Like a bitter heart being opened to hope by the quiet words of a friend. Awesome like the hand of a man caressing his lover’s delicate cheek. That ocean moment was awesome the way an eternal God living inside a body of mortal flesh is more than I can comprehend.
When you find yourself in God’s presence, even the air you breathe and the earth beneath your feet seem alive and lit with glory.
But today is an ordinary day. Even still, ordinary days burst with endless reminders of all He is to us and for us.
I can count many “reminders” in my life. Blessings I don’t deserve and I could never secure on my own. The man who loves me more than I deserve; the four little faces that turn toward me each day a call me “Mama”; friends who know me, love me, and care for me; more than enough to eat every day of my life; my health; our safe and warm home.
When I follow that trail of reminders, I find all my blessings lead me to God. The fountains of this life flow from Him. God is an awesome ocean of glory and goodness, and we are simply playing on His shore.
The tide goes out and the tide comes in. The wind and waves are frightening. The ocean cannot be tamed or controlled. It never leaves or stops or fails. Even so, the ocean of God is our refuge and our strong deliverer. It washes us clean and raises us up above what we are without Him as our Lord.
We have barely glimpsed all the goodness that awaits us in His presence. On this ordinary day, there is nothing more awesome than that thought.
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