a drive through the night
One late night recently, I had to take an unexpected drive over to the lake shore to pick up one of my children. She was camping and not feeling well. It was after midnight on a weekday. So, the 2-lane road, passing through village and township, belonged almost exclusively to me for the better part of an hour. The radio became all but useless by the time I was 15 minutes into the trip, having, apparently, ventured outside the bounds of civilization.
With that distraction unavailable to me, I began noticing the trees that fell within the range of my high-beams. One behind another, they crowded forward for their 1.5 seconds of fame, which simultaneously climaxed and ended as my car raced by, forcing them off stage until their repeat performance for any driver that may come along after me. The closer I got to the lake, the more they organized into an over-arching stance similar to the “victory tunnel” that soccer parents will form after each match. In this victory tunnel, I suppose I am the celebrated.
I thought of the picture painted by Isaiah,
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
The almost involuntary, explosion of shared happiness and enjoyment that is described must be universally recognized and appreciated, even craved. Is that craving for celebration also a mark that reflects being made in God’s image? Could that desire we have to experience explosive happiness be wired into us on purpose?
I believe in a God who celebrates, who chooses a marriage feast celebration as the venue for God-with-us to perform his first miracle, who commanded the keeping of feasts of celebration for Israel, and who sings for joy because of his people, as Zephaniah says.
The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty enough to save you. He will take great delight in you. The quietness of his love will calm you down. He will sing with joy because of you.
Have you felt like celebrating lately? If not, can you believe that one day when you are in the presence of God, He will feel like it? And if you can believe that, isn’t that enough reason to feel a little like celebrating today?
David Hamilton
Thank you for sharing this experience. The scene you describe is so serene. In recent years it has become important to me to be intentional about taking time to just be still and to take in God’s creation all around me. Sometimes it happens unintentionally, like you said, when a distraction is unavailable to me. There is a place I love to walk in the winter that resembles the “tunnel” you described in your story. There have been a few occasions while walking there around dusk, after a fresh blanket of snow has fallen, that I’m sure I was granted just a glimpse of God’s kingdom here on earth. We are created in God’s image, and wired to desire a close relationship with Him. Maybe it’s too much, but it is during moments such as you described, and I have experienced, that I feel we are blessed to be able to sneak-a-peek behind the veil that separates us from our God.
There is a song that speaks beautifully about the anticipation of that day when we stand in the presence of our Creator. The chorus and first verse follows:
I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by your side
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When your face is before me
I can only imagine
Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus,
Or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence,
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing Hallelujah,
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
Thanks.
You make a good point about intentionally seeking these “glimpses.”
I almost continued my post with thinking out loud about why it might be that I don’t make these connections to God’s creation more often.
I guess that’s a subject for another time.
that is the same song I thought of:)
Your article brought back a fond memory I had not thought about for years. While traveling north to Traverse City I noticed the most unusual colors in the sky so pulled off to the side of the road. It took me a moment to realize they were the Northern Lights. It was the most beautiful display of colors I had ever seen and they seemed to dance across the sky. Nothing man creates can compare to this display God created. Thank-you for helping me take a moment to reflect and appreciate God’s gift.