Oh, what peace we often forfeit.
Oh, what needless pain we bear.
I'm reminded of the ageless hymn
As I forget to turn in prayer.
I get so caught up in the cares of earth,
In the busy and hassle of living.
I wonder how often I look right over
The reminders of heaven God's giving.
Gifts that stir our hearts,
That we often look right past
Reminders of beauty fleeting now,
But of what will ultimately last.
For God opens the heavens
To allow us bits of seeing beyond the now,
Of moments of beauty that stir our hearts
And help us to see how...
We can live above the pull of the world,
To brave its cares and woes.
A moment of beauty, the light of the sun
Can lift us high from our lows.
Glimpses of heaven to remind us
That what we see now is not all.
One day we'll live well beyond
What's been left here after the fall.
So we must watch for the God winks,
The moments He sends to restore.
We must look for them, seek them and savor
Knowing in heaven there will be so much more.
A Glimpse of Heaven in the Winter
To my cold-natured bones there are some days in the winter that are just plain too cold for a walk. But then I'm faced with the sad, pleading eyes of my little silky terrier, scampering over to stand at full attention any time he sees me start to put on my shoes. After days of being cooped up in the house and the tiny fenced-in area off of our deck, that litle doggy is straining with all of his soul to find freedom even if it is at the end of a leash.
So after a week of temperatures below freezing, I couldn't ignore the pitiful stares any longer - it was time to give in and take him for a walk. And so, on went my long underwear and layer after layer up to my hooded coat and scarf across my face to brave the elements on a freezing, though sunny, day.
We set off and the cold hit my eyes - the only exposed area allowed - bringing tears and taking away my breath. So, slogging through the remnants of a recent snow, we jogged up to the nearby field - my little guide dog gleefully leading me, straining at the end of the leash.
We left the rows of houses with closed doors keeping in their warmth, and turned onto the gently rising slope of the field, and I am rewarded. A hillside of fairy frost, glistening in the sun that has risen just above the swell of the hill. The sparkling perfection of winter creation takes my breath away, this time not from the frigid air, but from the amazing beauty.
And the creator speaks.
I raise my eyes to the beauty of this hill from whence cometh my help. And I am reminded of Col.3:2 - Set your minds on things above, not on this world.
I think of my morning with thoughts filled with the protection of my comfort, not willing to persevere after the discipline to exercise or to brave the elements. And I think of how my shepherd is also beckoning with soulful eyes that look more deeply into my heart even than those of my devoted little pet - of how they both long to lead me to higher places!! And how I'm often reluctant to venture out.
Those moments He surprises me with beauty are what I call glimpses of heaven - gifts on earth that give us a peek into what the New Earth will be like...endless fields of glistening, sun-kissed beauty, perfection, glory, light and above all, His presence unveiled.
I've seen these glimpses before - in the laughter of my grandbaby, in the etherial colors of a sudden rainbow, in the strains of a hymn that touches my soul. I've seen it at the shore of the vastness of the ocean, in the shared prayer among believers with hands grasped in the warmth of true fellowship, in a moment before the fire with a cup of tea, in the fragile buds of springtime.
And I'm reminded of how I often have to focus to really see these gifts. I have to stop and open them before the moment vanishes. I have to look beyond the dailyness of dealing with the world, to be ready to stop for a moment to be still and know that He is God. (Is. 51:3) And yes, when I am nudged - to put on my snow boots and walk with Him.
It will be easier to see in the spring - I long for the season of new growth. But I must remember, He is there even in the winter.
