Every time I am in an airplane during takeoff I am one part convinced the plane is going to crash and the other part stunned that my childhood dream of flying has come true.
It’s the same event that causes both thoughts – fuzzy terror and breathtaking awe. Sometimes I feel them at the same time.
When our plane took off right at sunrise, lifting us up right along with the morning, I snapped this shot over Portland. And then we made a turn, and glory showed up outside the window.
You know what I mean. It’s happened to you, too, hasn’t it? You are gripping the edge of your seat in an airplane or your kitchen or your church or your car, holding on for dear life because you don’t know what will happen next and that can be the worst part, the not knowing.
But then, a glimpse of glory you don’t expect – her perfectly timed phone call, his warm smile, a note in the mail, a kind word from a stranger, the sun rising up to kiss an airplane window.
And you see it even though you weren’t looking for it, you are given it even though you forgot to ask for it, a reminder that you are not invisible. A reminder that God has not forgotten. A reminder that glory is everywhere all the time, peeking out from behind warm eyes, tired hands, and pink clouds.
The best part is, we get to participate in the glory surprise, too. Created in the image of a creative God, we can show up for people in the same way that sunrise showed up for me.
We are the megaphones of glory.
If you’re like me and need something tangible to hold on to this morning, something to help you center and remember God’s presence with you, find a comfortable spot, close your eyes, and listen to this song by Sarah Masen, an adaptation of Psalm 139. It’s a lovely combination of quirk, whimsy, and truth.
“If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be.
If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn,
and settle down on the other side of the sea,
even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.”
Pslam 139: 8-10
May the eyes of our hearts be opened to glory, to love, and to the comfort found in the presence of God. And may we be open to handing it out in abundance.
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