Awe and Splendor!

It was an amazing day. One of awe and splendor! It was a unifying day. A reflective day.

How many of us had the privilege to look up at the sky today and behold the eclipse! It was scientifically predicted and God miraculously made it happen!

And for me and my extended family, it was a touching day. A day of reflection, a day of sorrow and rejoicing. We were at a funeral today. My dear 93 year old aunt was laid to rest, but her spirit is experiencing awe and splendor that greatly eclipses a mere eclipse! For she is beholding the Son in all His glory! And for that we rejoice! But meanwhile, back here on earth....

After the funeral, as we walked out of the church, I was surprised to see folks in the parking lot, wearing those quirky glasses and looking up! They were prepared! And they kindly shared, handing us their glasses that we too had the opportunity to look up and see.

It was beginning! So cool!

As we headed home, we saw groups of people outside, here and there, along the way, all looking up. We saw someone on their rooftop, looking up! As I scrolled through facebook this evening, there were lots of posts of people sharing pics of themselves...looking up!

Some people we know traveled. They wanted to experience it to the fullest, they wanted to see totality! School kids, nursing home residents, emplyees, neighbors, so many folks, outside today, all looking up!

When we got to my sister's home, the one I had traveled to the funeral with, we headed inside. Her home was wierdly dark for that time of day. We knew that is was probably "happening"; the moment of greatest coverage for our area. Unfortunately, neither of us had the special glasses. But then she got a text. Turns out there was a sister thread going, sending thank you texts to our youngest sis who had thoughtfully sent each of us a pair of those needed glasses. My sis whose home I was at, checked her mail. There it was. Just in the nick of time. Thank you Tina! We got to see the eclipse, and it was amazing!

As I thought about the day, one word that came to mind was "unifying" as so many people were focused on the same thing. I thought about our amazing Creator and how He controls the gait and rhythmn of the moon and the stars. I thought about the brilliance of the sun and its effect on the earth, the warmth it radiates for us to enjoy, the coolness that quickly settles in when the sun is blocked.

Various analogies came to mind...and likely, as you were reading this, there are some spiritual reflections that came to your mind as well. Being prepared, sharing, being unified in our focus, desiring the total experience, the brilliance and affect of the Son and the sun, God's perfect timing, the need for something special to save our eyes, just like we need Someone special to save our souls....

And I also thought about "looking up". Someday, possibly someday very soon, the skies are going to burst open with light and glory and our Savior is going to break through the eastern sky (Matt. 24:27) as He rides forth on a white horse (Rev. 19:11), in the fullness of His glory! And every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess, that He is Lord of all! (Phil. 2: 10-11). Finally! All wrong will be made right! He will be known as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Oh glorious day!

So may we be looking up dear ones, for our redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28)! That glorious day of unequivacal...

Awe and Splendor!