You Paint the Sky

 
God must have known how upset I was with the rainy weather in Nashville yesterday because He sent me an absolutely gorgeous (albeit, very cold) day to enjoy today. There's nothing quite like a rainy day to make me appreciate blue skies and bright sunshine. But when you get down to it, most of life is like that--most of the time I think we wouldn't be able to appreciate the value of the blessings we receive if it weren't for the trials that we endure.

Today I had the chance to rejoice in the sunshine and I was so thankful to not have to brave a torrential downpour every time I needed to change classes or go to the dining hall go get something to eat. I definitely celebrated the beautiful weather today, but it wasn't until I'd made it back to my dorm room for the afternoon and started chipping away at the mountain of reading assignments I had to do today that I fully appreciated the majesty of God's handiwork in today's bright, clear skies.

When I looked out my window toward downtown Nashville, I was taken aback by the beauty of the clouds. They hung majestically over the city, deep purple and reflecting the golden rays of the sun. I immediately though of the lyrics of "Love Song":

      You walk on waves,
      You run with clouds,
      You paint the sky for me to see,
      Your majesty,
      Your majesty is why I sing

"You paint the sky for me to see". I'm in awe of the greatness of my God who is King of Kings and the Lord Most High, yet He is intimately involved with the here and now that I experience in each moment of my day.  He is the all-powerful ruler of all, and yet He pauses to paint a beautiful Nashville sunset. The work of His hands is truly awe-inspiring. And just as the golden clouds this afternoon reflected in a small part the bright rays of today's sunshine, all of creation reflects, in part, the glory of our awesome God.

All too often, I hear friends and classmates say that they simply can't believe that there is a God because they have never experienced Him. I understand their reservations and their doubt because I've experienced it, but today when I looked at the sunset I became immensely grateful for the way that God reveals Himself to us--even when we aren't privileged to gaze upon His face. For in a Nashville sunset, I had the chance to witness God's glorious handiwork that reflects His own infinite glory.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Psalm 19:1. Our great God is ever-present and makes His existence known in even the seemingly least significant aspects of creation. So I hope to train my eye to look for Him in all situations. I want to hear God in the wind, I want to feel Him in the Sun, and I want to smell Him in the flower. The glory of my God surrounds me, and all that is required of me is to be still for a moment and experience Him.