Let faith arise
Let faith arise
(Song by Chris Tomlin/Louie Giglio/Matt Maher)
Photo: Trunk Bay, St John
This photo is from a trail in the Virgin Islands National Park on St John. There so many amazing views looking out at the water. One of the things i liked about this view was seeing how clear the water is, yet at the same time so blue. So clear that some of the difference in appearance (when close to the water like this) is actually due to what is at the bottom- sand, vegetation, reef and so forth.
God’s love is that that in many ways. Present everywhere you look. Yet it may appear differently depending on the surrounding circumstances.
Over the next view weeks, I’ll be sharing some of amazing views we experienced in the Caribbean last week. This one was on St Kitts looking toward the island of Nevis. The water on the left is the Atlantic Ocean; on the right is the Caribbean Sea.
Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell there. Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy. Psalms 98:7-8
Another photo from our visit to Yosemite. Another view of Half Dome. If you enlarge the photo (considerably) you can see people climbing the face – two climbers just left if the center and one or two standing on a diagonal ledge just above the center of the photo.
My initial reaction to this photo is to think how insignificant we are. And yet, John 3:16 comes to my mind: “For God so loved the world…”
When we travel to well known locations, I like to take pictures that are easily recognizable views of the location. My wife and I recently completed a puzzle that was an iconic view from the Yosemite Valley. Shortly before finishing the puzzle, I realized I had taken a photo in 2012 that was almost exactly the same view.
This photo of Yosemite Half Dome was taken on the same trip. I was trying to capture a different image of a familiar sight.
Sometimes we see God in the familiar, such as the famous view of Yosemite Valley depicted in the puzzle. Sometimes it is in the less familiar. Maybe a spontaneous moment, maybe a long awaiting moment. Always leaving a lasting impression.
This photo of the sunset was taken shortly after we arrived at Mykonos on our 3 day cruise last year. We were happy to get there in time to see a spectacular sunset, but subsequently we were mildly disappointed that it was hard to do much exploring of the island once it got dark. Adding to our disappointment was knowing that people taking the same cruise closer to summer would have additional daylight.
So it was definitely a glass half full/half empty experience. Focus on what we were “missing out on“ or simply savor the gift of a beautiful sunset.
Often in life, it is tempting to wish that we had met someone sooner or tried something sooner or were even living in a different era. And yet, we can be certain that God does not make errors in where (and when) we are placed. Savor the gift.
This photo is from our end of week bonfire in Jamaica. Fire is such a powerful image for passion, something we hope everyone has experienced by the end of the trip.
“For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7
Signs Along the Way 