October 28
“So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given
over to the Lord.” And he worshipped the Lord there.
1 Samuel 1:28
The four seater prop plane took off. I clutched the arm rests as the engines roared and the sound of the wind against the airplane became deafening. Feeling quite apprehensive, All I could think was, “I am in your hands, God!” Very quickly though any tension I felt within was replaced with awe! This was my very first airplane ride and the incredibly beautiful scenery before me was taking my breath away! Abundant green trees overshadowed the brown roofed cottages below, but before me, visible in its entirety was the clear, blue-grey lake, shimmering in the sunlight and alive with people and boats! My thinking quickly changed from where it had been an hour before! Gone were the wet bathing suits and sand in the shoes; kids tugging at me for one thing or another. Gone were the annoyingly loud neighbors. Gone were the snapping turtles we had to be wary of. Gone were the concerns about loved ones and problems we were facing . . . for the moment. After seeing our cottage, so tiny and seemingly insignificant, as part of this wondrously beautiful place; part of something so big and so lovely, and recognizing that it and us were an integral part of it all, those concerns seemed so small! From this perspective, all the problems of everyday life were not even visible. All that was perceived was the combination of the beauty of the landscape and architecture within it. It was incredulous to me how everything seemed to be in its perfect place; to the point it too my breath away. The sapphire blue sky with puffy white clouds, the lush greenery and brown earth surrounding the life-filled body of water, along with the grey and tan rock formations, were all exquisite, and I could not help but think about how God has given us all of this.
We flew around Mount Monadnock. The jutting rocks and steep cliffs seemed to be right at our fingertips, until I noticed the climbers at the summit, looking like ants against the harsh backdrop. Overjoyed at their accomplishment, they cheerfully waved arms, colorful hats and anything they had in acknowledgement of our presence in the sky above them. I could have stayed there forever, enjoying the wondrous beauty of God’s creation. And the time flew, along with the little plane, as I worshipped God; right there, right where I was.
This first flight made me think about how from various vantage points, all thing look different. Sometimes we feel so insignificant, so alone when life burdens us, and we are too close to a situation to see the whole picture; to see just where it fits in the complete landscape of our lives. When we are able take a step back and look at things from a place where we can see how God’s creation surrounds it, we see how it fits . . . how we fit . . . so perfectly in the places of our lives. I dear friend of mine states frequently, "I know I am where God means for me to be." It is her constant consolation, and becoming mine.
In Baptism we are filled with your spirit, Lord; given over to you for eternity. For this extraordinary gift may we worship you always, in gratitude, right where we are.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
“So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given
over to the Lord.” And he worshipped the Lord there.
1 Samuel 1:28
The four seater prop plane took off. I clutched the arm rests as the engines roared and the sound of the wind against the airplane became deafening. Feeling quite apprehensive, All I could think was, “I am in your hands, God!” Very quickly though any tension I felt within was replaced with awe! This was my very first airplane ride and the incredibly beautiful scenery before me was taking my breath away! Abundant green trees overshadowed the brown roofed cottages below, but before me, visible in its entirety was the clear, blue-grey lake, shimmering in the sunlight and alive with people and boats! My thinking quickly changed from where it had been an hour before! Gone were the wet bathing suits and sand in the shoes; kids tugging at me for one thing or another. Gone were the annoyingly loud neighbors. Gone were the snapping turtles we had to be wary of. Gone were the concerns about loved ones and problems we were facing . . . for the moment. After seeing our cottage, so tiny and seemingly insignificant, as part of this wondrously beautiful place; part of something so big and so lovely, and recognizing that it and us were an integral part of it all, those concerns seemed so small! From this perspective, all the problems of everyday life were not even visible. All that was perceived was the combination of the beauty of the landscape and architecture within it. It was incredulous to me how everything seemed to be in its perfect place; to the point it too my breath away. The sapphire blue sky with puffy white clouds, the lush greenery and brown earth surrounding the life-filled body of water, along with the grey and tan rock formations, were all exquisite, and I could not help but think about how God has given us all of this.
We flew around Mount Monadnock. The jutting rocks and steep cliffs seemed to be right at our fingertips, until I noticed the climbers at the summit, looking like ants against the harsh backdrop. Overjoyed at their accomplishment, they cheerfully waved arms, colorful hats and anything they had in acknowledgement of our presence in the sky above them. I could have stayed there forever, enjoying the wondrous beauty of God’s creation. And the time flew, along with the little plane, as I worshipped God; right there, right where I was.
This first flight made me think about how from various vantage points, all thing look different. Sometimes we feel so insignificant, so alone when life burdens us, and we are too close to a situation to see the whole picture; to see just where it fits in the complete landscape of our lives. When we are able take a step back and look at things from a place where we can see how God’s creation surrounds it, we see how it fits . . . how we fit . . . so perfectly in the places of our lives. I dear friend of mine states frequently, "I know I am where God means for me to be." It is her constant consolation, and becoming mine.
In Baptism we are filled with your spirit, Lord; given over to you for eternity. For this extraordinary gift may we worship you always, in gratitude, right where we are.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson