October 4
Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and
moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the
temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of
the Lord. Ezekiel 10:4
The hushed early morning hour called us awake, our inner clock announcing it was time to begin another day, even though we were on a weekend get away! Accustomed to our busy daily routines and anticipating some sight seeing in this beautiful fall weather, we willingly complied! My husband headed up to the Inn to retrieve steaming cups of hot coffee to warm us and savor before breakfast. I peered out toward the darkness beyond our window which faced the Atlantic Ocean off the rocky coast of Maine, looking for the waves that I could hear crashing below, but in the darkness remained invisible to me. Then, with coffee in hands and bundled up against the chill, we sat on our deck breathing in the brisk sea air. Within minutes a continuously changing, subtle glow on the horizon, caught our attention as the new day began to dawn. Simultaneously we both stood, in amazement of the magnificence we were witnessing. Abruptly the sky became colorful hues of deep red-orange, white and multiple shades of purple and gray; that burst forth with a gloriously radiant white light! It streamed and danced off the surface of the water, like countless crystals that reflect and bounce multicolored rainbows around a room; but this light that had a brilliance almost too bright to be looked at with our unprotected eyes! The startling grandeur of it filled us with awe and left us breathless, unable to speak in its beauty as we stood there and held each other close. Our hearts were overflowing with reverence and gratitude to God in this glorious moment; feeling so privileged to be in His presence there, as the radiant light spread through us, filling us with inconceivable peace.
As our gaze continued outward, the streams of light began to reveal activity that had been out of view in the prior darkness, but was taking place beyond us with clear determination. Fishing boats were already heading far out to sea, bouncing over the waves with their bows pointing forward, while behind them the disturbance from their wake spread out and was lost in the churning water. Lobster trawlers, also already hard at work, dotted the coastline as they hoisted up their laden traps, water gushing forth, while sea gulls hovered nearby, and darted back and forth in a flurry hoping to gobble up unsuspecting sea creatures as the traps were pulled up. The white and speckled sea birds stayed with the boats, their shrill calls heard against the backdrop of the rolling thunderous sea. There were some birds on the cliffs below us too, preening their feathers, patiently waiting and resting in preparation for their scavenger flights. Then suddenly, as if some silent inner signal sounded, off the group flew in the direction of the boats, joining in on the foray.
In this breathtaking sunrise, the “glory of the Lord" brought into view the life that was taking place all around us, the life that we did not see in the darkness of that early morning. So very much like our lives. Without God’s glory, we live in darkness, unable to see not only the life going on around us, but more importantly the life within that God is constantly calling us to and revealing to us.
God, thank you for revealing your light and love to us in glorious moments of awe.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and
moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the
temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of
the Lord. Ezekiel 10:4
The hushed early morning hour called us awake, our inner clock announcing it was time to begin another day, even though we were on a weekend get away! Accustomed to our busy daily routines and anticipating some sight seeing in this beautiful fall weather, we willingly complied! My husband headed up to the Inn to retrieve steaming cups of hot coffee to warm us and savor before breakfast. I peered out toward the darkness beyond our window which faced the Atlantic Ocean off the rocky coast of Maine, looking for the waves that I could hear crashing below, but in the darkness remained invisible to me. Then, with coffee in hands and bundled up against the chill, we sat on our deck breathing in the brisk sea air. Within minutes a continuously changing, subtle glow on the horizon, caught our attention as the new day began to dawn. Simultaneously we both stood, in amazement of the magnificence we were witnessing. Abruptly the sky became colorful hues of deep red-orange, white and multiple shades of purple and gray; that burst forth with a gloriously radiant white light! It streamed and danced off the surface of the water, like countless crystals that reflect and bounce multicolored rainbows around a room; but this light that had a brilliance almost too bright to be looked at with our unprotected eyes! The startling grandeur of it filled us with awe and left us breathless, unable to speak in its beauty as we stood there and held each other close. Our hearts were overflowing with reverence and gratitude to God in this glorious moment; feeling so privileged to be in His presence there, as the radiant light spread through us, filling us with inconceivable peace.
As our gaze continued outward, the streams of light began to reveal activity that had been out of view in the prior darkness, but was taking place beyond us with clear determination. Fishing boats were already heading far out to sea, bouncing over the waves with their bows pointing forward, while behind them the disturbance from their wake spread out and was lost in the churning water. Lobster trawlers, also already hard at work, dotted the coastline as they hoisted up their laden traps, water gushing forth, while sea gulls hovered nearby, and darted back and forth in a flurry hoping to gobble up unsuspecting sea creatures as the traps were pulled up. The white and speckled sea birds stayed with the boats, their shrill calls heard against the backdrop of the rolling thunderous sea. There were some birds on the cliffs below us too, preening their feathers, patiently waiting and resting in preparation for their scavenger flights. Then suddenly, as if some silent inner signal sounded, off the group flew in the direction of the boats, joining in on the foray.
In this breathtaking sunrise, the “glory of the Lord" brought into view the life that was taking place all around us, the life that we did not see in the darkness of that early morning. So very much like our lives. Without God’s glory, we live in darkness, unable to see not only the life going on around us, but more importantly the life within that God is constantly calling us to and revealing to us.
God, thank you for revealing your light and love to us in glorious moments of awe.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson