into the sunset

Ordinary, every day happenings can prelude what I call God moments. While doing dinner dishes, it was still bright outside and the colors danced on the east wall, telling me there would be a beautiful sunset. Dishes abandoned, I left quickly to enjoy the view while driving into the sun. Vibrant colors were splayed across the sky; purples, blues, reds, pinks & orange weaving in and around the clouds as the sun sank into the horizon and I was struck once again by the splendor of creator God’s painting, on the vast canvas for all to see. ‘Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His dwelling place.’ (1 Chronicles 16:27). I LOVE that God was telling us this before we had the Holy Spirit… He is making it clear: Make no mistake. Just in my creating you, you are my dwelling place. Now. Today. Strength and joy exists IN you. Choose it. His splendor & majesty are before Him, even when we can’t see. Whether a bleak day or in the midst of joyous occasion, its still there; waiting for us to SEE. ‘Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of the nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the Splendor of His Holiness. Tremble before Him all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say to the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

Tempted to pull over to take a few pictures, I opted to stay in the moment and kept on driving, singing a new song of praise to our maker; enjoying His presence. Do you remember at the very end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, when a select few are getting on a beautiful ship with white, billowing sails at dusk; luminescent skies in the background? I do. I remember being curious… where they were going? And why aren’t more people joining them? I remember the moment it hit me… Peace filled my heart, an inner joy in knowing. They were going to sail into the sunset. Rest was coming. Their work was complete. Various tasks, some seemingly unimportant… others obviously essential; all woven into a much larger story.

I want to live every day like that… faithful to finish what God has for me THAT day. And when the days add up and the work is finished, I too will sail into the sunset… where I will rest as I wait until you can join me on the other side.