An Astronomical Trifecta
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1 (NIV)
My birthday was last week. Bruce was absolutely determined that we were going to get away for a few days of R&R at the beach. I was a little reluctant because I'm in the middle of teaching a 10-week Bible study, preparing to teach at a women's retreat, and still working at the hospital three days each week. Plus it's the beach in the winter, not the beach in the summer or fall. Add taking James Bruce and Mimi, Bruce's mother, with us and I really didn't see how we were going to accomplish the "rest and relax" goals that Bruce had outlined. In other words, I had very low expectations for this trip. That might be why it turned out to be one of our best trips ever.
We had warmer temperatures at Fort Morgan than we did in Birmingham. The warmth wasn't just good for my spirits; it was a blessing to my arthritic bones as well. On Sunday, the beach temperatures were in the low seventies with a gentle gulf breeze. That's amazing for early February, even in the South. We had the beach pretty much to ourselves. Bruce and James Bruce took long walks in both directions and only passed a couple of folks. That meant I enjoyed some good study time and much needed quiet. I really thought the nasty political rhetoric would settle down after the inauguration, but it hasn't. I'm tired of the noise and the anger from both sides. The combination of quiet, warm weather, gentle breezes, budding azaleas, and ocean's rhythm helped soothe my soul and refresh my spirit.
Saturday night we hit the astronomical jackpot. At one point, I looked westward and saw a spectacular pink and orange sunset sinking into the ocean. When I turned around and looked eastward, a full moon was rising in the darkening sky. Meteorologists described last Saturday night as an astronomical trifecta with the appearance of a full moon, lunar eclipse, and a comet. We missed the comet, but the beach's full moon and partial eclipse were simply stunning. I sat on the deck and watched as one by one, dozens of stars appeared in the night sky. The darker the night became, the more stars appeared, and the brighter they became. Today's verse "The heavens declare the glory of God" was the first thought that came to my mind. And I found myself agreeing with the psalmist, "Indeed they do!" Beyond my delight, however, was the realization that the stars had been there all along; I just couldn't see them while the sun was shining. The darkness provided a backdrop for the stars to shine brighter and be seen. The stars' story displayed God's glory.
The same is true for our suffering. We don't often see God's glory displayed in our lives in the comfortable or easy seasons of life. It's mainly in our seasons of suffering that we are able to fully experience God's peace, presence, comfort, provision, and strength. C.S. Lewis once wrote, "Pain insists on being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
King David penned Psalm 19 over 3000 years ago. As a shepherd, David surely spent many a night working under the stars. Psalm 19's opening lines were written on David's heart before they were ever written with his pen:
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
Night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
Their words to the ends of the world."
Psalm 19 is all about words. Not the angry rhetoric of a deeply divided nation, but the beautiful words of Creation declaring God's glory; God's Word proclaiming His story; and a final prayer for my words to be pleasing in His sight. If you're looking for a little R&R in your own life, try reading Psalm 19.
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
Amen and Amen!
Donna