Now We See…

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, with Jim and I attending four conferences, giving five messages, on two different continents!  Were we ever in need of some good rest and time together!  Thankfully a friend blessed us with tickets to the Denver Art Museum and last Thursday we were off on a date!

Now when Jim saw me slip my colored pencils into my backpack he was concerned, “What are your expectations for this trip?!”  Spending two hours contemplating and drawing one piece of art at a museum is not his idea of a good time!

So I quickly explained, “Oh!  No expectations!  I like to have them just in case…”  Turns out you can’t even use anything but a charcoal pencil while you’re looking at the exhibits.  Was Jim ever relieved!

But as we entered I still asked the Lord if He’d highlight one treasure and speak to me through it.  Would you believe we found it on the last floor right as we were getting ready to leave?!

When we saw Camille Pissarro’s “Autumn, Poplars, Eragny” I was captivated.  Such texture!  And beauty!  But you know when you get up close, if you just look at a small section, it sure doesn’t look like anything!

But back away, take in the whole… and it’s breathtaking!

And I thought – that’s so much what life is like!  Right now, in the middle of the story, experiencing one small piece of the whole it may not look like much!  In fact it may look like a downright choppy mess!

But God is a master artist.  There is purpose in each stroke!  Am I ever looking forward to getting to heaven and first and foremost seeing Him for who He is!  Then it sure will be neat to see the whole of the picture He’s painting in our lives.  Especially to see the beauty He brings out of the dark strokes…

Bet it’s going to look even better than this!!!

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  1 Corinthians 13:12 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ btw… we did have a ton of fun at the museum!  :0)

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Because He Desires to be With Me!

Last week I was at a retreat with the University of Wyoming NavLadies and during a shared quiet time the Lord highlighted Psalm 139:3 for me,

“You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.”

As I read this it hit me how so often I am like a two year old, so highly distracted.  I deeply desire to follow Jesus, but as different things catch my attention I tend to flit here and there and certainly can get sidetracked.  What a blessing the Lord is committed to making the effort to search out my crazy, haphazard path and that he knows my ways – not just some of them, but all of them!  What security there is in knowing this!

As I continued to ponder this the Lord reminded me of a time when Jim and I were dating.  We were attending a Nav conference and I slipped away to enjoy some of the beauty of the location, taking a path through the woods to a lake. It was so far removed from everything and everyone, was I ever surprised when Jim showed up!

When I asked, “How did you ever find me?”  He said, “I missed you and wanted to be with you,  so I went looking for your footprints.  You have a distinct way that one of your feet turns in and when I saw that I knew I was on the right trail and even when I came to forks in the trail and the imprint of your feet wasn’t as visible, I knew you’d take the less traveled route!”  Jim found me because he was acquainted with my ways!  He found me because he was intentionally searching for me… because he wanted to be with me!

Does that memory ever vividly illustrate this verse, especially highlighting the Lord’s deep desire for relationship with us!

Got to love it when we can “see” Jesus in the actions of those around us and how it helps us understand on an even deeper level truths not seen, but so very, very precious!