Evident

"I don't know what is so awfully important that it is occupying your thoughts. . .but if you saw God even for thirty-seconds, everything would change. . ."

The weather is changing here and the campus is starting to settle into it's routine after weeks of new student activities.  I walked and saw my breath in the air for the first time the other night and now the trees are starting to adopt their new autumn shades.  To my dismay, flip flop season is quickly fading and it is almost time for my feet to return their fabric cages of socks and shoes. 

Anyway. . . the incredible thing about fall is how excessively bright and beautiful it seems like everything gets during this transition into winter.  I can't even count how many times I have looked at the colorful trees up against the blue sky and silently sensed the very presence of God and even thanked Him for the beauty around me. . . 

Then I really began to think about it. Especially after I heard this sentence "I don't know what is so awfully important that it is occupying your thoughts. . .but if you saw God even for thirty-seconds, everything would change. . ."  I really had to think about this. I mean seriously,my goal (among other things) during this year long adventure has been to become "pure in heart" and change my life. And that passage ends by saying that the blessing of the pure in heart is to SEE God!

 What does it mean to really, legitimately see God? At least in my case, I look around at the world and see all this great evidence of God's creativity, imagination and humor. Like finger prints. He is evident.  it takes my breath away sometimes.  Sunsets, a new born baby, the ocean, clown fish, platypus, earth worms (you get the general idea)...all the great wonders. yada-yada-yada. . . that's all wonderful. . .

but. . .what if one day, I were to actually SEE God? Not just the evidence of Him but really see Him? in the flesh so to speak. . . If all this world, even in all its' imperfection can be so incredibly beautiful at times and change my mood, what would it do to my life if I got even just a glance at the face of the Creator of it all? 

I don't really know the answer. . . It is a thought I can't quite wrap my mind around.  There are a lot of questions I have about my whole life that I can't quite figure out but this thought, about the reality of who God is in person, has been especially on my mind.

Maybe the answer will just have to wait until my race has been run through, whenever that may be. But, I have decided the best way to get an answer is to go straight to the source. My prayer goes something like this: "God, show me how to live the fearful and transformed life of someone who has seen You face to face.  Let the world and all its' imperfect glory be enough to cause everything in my life to change as if I got a glance of You." 

Isaiah 6 

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. ² Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one called out to another and said,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,
The ^[a]whole earth is full of His glory.”

⁴ And the ^[b]foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the ^[c]temple was filling with smoke. ⁵ Then I said,

“Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. ⁷ He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is ^[d]forgiven.”

"The God Who is, is WILD and BIG."