The Reflection of His Beauty

I sat by the river, watching the trout chase each other around and outsmart the fly fishers.  The sound of the gurgling turquoise water over the rocks touched something deep inside as the sunshine danced on my face.  Greens, blues and tans all around, the smell of water and earth, with good friends a few yards down the river.  I love this place.  I praised God for how his beauty is reflected in the beauty in front of me.  The creativity of his heart and intricacy of his creation were overwhelming.  This beauty humbled me and led me to worship.

At that moment of worship I heard a whisper say, "Do you see the beauty of my creation in the people you encounter? My beauty is there too."  Bam! The reality of the gap between how I experience God's creation in the natural world versus how I experience his creation in people hit me in that same place deep inside.   No... I knew the answer immediately as tears of realization came to my eyes of the beauty I have been missing.  I don't know how I've missed it or why, but somehow people have been puzzles to be solved rather than God's creativity to be enjoyed.  Father, let me see the beauty of your creativity and handiwork in the people I encounter, in the same way that I see your beauty reflected in the natural world.

I don't know why my experience is this way, except that in people I see pain.  I see self protection, and I protect myself as well.  There is a difference in kind between the natural world and humanity.  In humanity there is both potential for great love and great evil.  The relationship is quite uncertain.  To sit back and marvel at God's handiwork in people feels a bit more difficult because there is much more at stake.  And, I guess, it's harder to see the beauty in the pain sometimes.

After letting this new truth sink in for a minute, God, in all his graciousness, brought it back around through the devotional I've been reading again.  My reading that day was in The Heart of God by Ogilvie about seeing the Messiah in each moment.  How often we miss Jesus in the here and now!  He ends the chapter with this quote...

"God's gifts of people can be offered, only to find us not awake to the unique expression of God's love that He has wrapped up in human personality just for us.  The natural world around us can sing its doxology of praise to the Creator, but we do not hear.  God can write His signature in the amazing surprises of His grace, but we cannot see it.  The Messianic age is now.  We are the Messiah's people. The banquet table is teeming with the blessings of love, forgiveness, indwelling power and unlimited hope.  While at the banquet, attend to the banquet!"

Oh, Father, let us not miss your fingerprint and love in the people we encounter every day.  Open our eyes to your expression of love in them and lead us to worship You in it.  Jesus, let us see you in every moment.

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