A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

At 6:45 one morning, the Lord woke me up with an invitation: “Come out with me and I will show you My glory!”

It only took a few minutes to run a comb through my hair, throw on some beach clothes and grab my camera. I wasn’t going to miss this!

In my mind, I was expecting an especially spectacular sunrise, like the one I captured the morning after a recent hurricane on the east coast of Florida, where I live. That morning, the sky was ablaze with color. Streaks of purple and pink, interspersed with golden rays illuminated the lingering cloud formations. The view was vast and majestic. God seemed to be saying, “See, my mercies really are new every morning!”

With that sense of anticipation, I walked out to the observation deck on the beach. It was still very early, so I took a seat on the bench, alongside another sunrise chaser. People were walking on the beach, pausing from time to time to look toward the east, hoping to catch a glimpse of the first rays. But today was a little overcast, with low clouds obscuring the view of the sun breaking the horizon. We would have to wait awhile, for the sun to rise enough to be seen through the scattered clouds.

While I was waiting, the Lord redirected my gaze to the waves, breaking close to the shore. As they approached, there was a faint but beautiful pink reflection on the blue water. I raised my camera and captured the color.

Then He shifted my perspective and I observed the circular patterns the waves created as they stretched out to the beach and back to the sea again.

A little later, He directed my attention some tiny dew drops, no larger than the head of a pin, along the weathered wood railing of the deck. I zoomed in close to capture the delicate dots with the ocean in the background.

As the sun to rose high enough to begin to light up the sky, He turned me around to notice the sea grapes on the dunes behind me with their large saucer-like leaves now catching the morning light.

He was showing me His glory, sure enough. But it was in the fine details, which are often only noticeable with a change of perspective. His glory is always there, all around us, in the majestic moments, yes, but in the seemingly small details as well. We only need to adjust our perspective to see it.

When God seems distant, or our circumstances look gray or chaotic, take a moment and look around. Quiet your soul and wait. Listen. Soon your focus will adjust to what has been there all along. His Presence. His Glory.

Finally, the sun broke through the low clouds and filled the sky with the much-anticipated glorious golden light. The people on the beach stopped, aimed their phones at the horizon and then continued their morning stroll. I took a look at the variety of images I had captured and marveled at the multidimensional greatness and glory of our Creator God, and then headed for my car.

But there was one more glimpse of His glory waiting for me. There’s a small clearing between the thick, bushy sea grape trees that offers a different view, not of the beach, but of the ocean beyond. It’s a protected area, fenced off to preserve its natural beauty.

I arrived at the spot just in time to capture the rising sun from a very different perspective, shining through the sea oats, palmetto bushes and dew-covered grass.

He was there this morning. And, as promised, He did show me His glory…in so many beautiful and unexpected ways.

I’m looking forward to my next invitation.

Thank You, Lord, for revealing Yourself to us is so many ways, and from so many perspectives. That’s Your way of letting us know You’re always there.

Thank You for training our eyes (and our hearts) to look for You, not only in those spectacular moments of majesty, but it the small details that are often easy to miss. We never want to overlook a chance to experience Your glory.

Tune our ears (and our hearts) to hear Your quiet invitation, and cause us to respond and join You with expectation and joy.