Perspectives
on the Landscape of Life
By
DJ Note
To
God Be The Glory…
“God
made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser
light to govern the night; He made the stars also.” Genesis 1:16
I
took my Schipperke companion, Cheyenne, for a walk one evening just as the sun
headed for the horizon. It had been a long day and I needed to stretch my legs
and breath the outside air. I longed to enjoy God’s creation, to smell the
pines, to get some earth under my feet.
There’s
a hill I like to climb just a short hop, skip, and a jump from my home. Deer,
digger squirrels, an occasional raccoon, and wild turkey can be seen roaming
the hillside in the early morning or just before the twilight of evening sets
in.
I’m
especially fond of this particular climb, high above the noise and traffic of
town, because it provides the sweet solitude a worshipful soul seeks when
longing for quiet time with the Lord.
By
the time we reached the top of the hill, the sinking sphere of amber-orange
melting between the branches on the tree-lined horizon was gone. For the next
few fleeting moments as the far-reaching tentacles of the sun’s rays bid the
valley farewell, I watched God’s creation flaunt, with Technicolor fanfare, its
sunset spectacle over the entire landscape.
The
melodic theme to Exodus played in my ears causing goose bumps to form on my
skin. I felt a chill climb up my spine as I extended my hands toward the
twilight in praise and adoration to the Lord. Those moments of intimacy with
the Lord were as precious and captivating as the vow of ‘forever after’ is when
entwined in two young hearts on their wedding day.
I
hadn’t realized the time slipping by until I opened my eyes to the evening
stars flickering before me like so many fireflies blinking in the navy-blue
sky.
Scenes
from The Star of Bethlehem, a DVD I own, that couples scripture and
science popped into my mind. I tingled at the recollection of the powerful
evidence presented for God’s existence and found myself apologizing for man’s
stubbornness against worshipping the Lover of our Souls. I wondered why, with
all of their brilliance, these twinkling lanterns hanging from the heavens
weren’t proof enough for anyone?
Jesus
must have looked up at a sky very similar to this one. As a boy, I wondered,
did he ever lie on his back and observe the constellations with his dad? Was
the moon this full when He spent time in the wilderness? Did He see the stars
through his tears while kneeling in obedience to the Father in the garden of
Gethsemane?
I
became aware of the cool evening air settling in as it cloaked my neck and
shoulders. Cheyenne sat patiently at my feet while I gazed at the moon in the
distance. A backdrop of streetlights graced the car-less housing development
behind me. The encroaching night was pushing me off my hillside and back home.
The
day will come when I’ll no longer stand on that hilltop and gaze wide-eyed
across the expanse of the Rogue Valley. A home will occupy the ground where I
stood and privately worshipped my God.
On
the walk home I prayed for the family who would one day live on the yet
undeveloped property. I prayed that they might know the King of Kings and
worship Him only. I prayed for God’s provision, for protection and family
unity. And I hoped they, too, would marvel at the night sky in all its wonder
and maybe even ask the same questions I had asked.
Perhaps
when the hillside is eventually speckled with homes, the Lord will give me an
opportunity introduce myself to the family living there. Perhaps I’ll have a
chance to tell them of the night I stood on that hilltop listening to my Ipod,
gazing at the stars and the moon as I worshipped the King of Kings. Maybe I’ll
get a chance to tell them of His great love, His sacrifice on the cross, and
the promise of eternal life to all who follow Him.
Then it occurred to me.
Perhaps my late start that afternoon wasn’t something to be upset about after
all. Perhaps God had had his way unbeknownst to me and my best laid plans. And
perhaps providence orchestrated my prayers that starlit night for the family
unknown. After all, the Lord does have a way of working things out if only
we’ll just step out of his way.
DJ Note writes from Eagle Point, Oregon.