I Stand Amazed

I was spontaneous.  I'm hardly ever spontaneous, but this time, I was.  Last year, I discovered that I have a love for driving around until I'm lost and then finding my way back again.  On one of these little adventures, I found a river down a winding gravel road back in the country.  I'm not sure what compelled me to continue driving (especially when I saw the "Dangerous Bridge" sign), but I was not deterred.  I finally came around a narrow curve which led me to a huge clearing, and there it was:  a river.  

So, spontaneity replaced my sanity and I took a trip to the river yesterday.  

 I wish a camera could compare to the just how glorious this view is, but I suppose if that were the case, then there would be no point in physically going somewhere to experience it--which I highly recommend.

I was alone at the river.  Don't misinterpret that, Reader--the solitude didn't bother me.  Actually, I was pretty thankful for it.  How often do we really escape all of the rush of the day and just stand amazed in the gift of the present moment?  How often do we put aside the products of the past and the worries of the future and really absorb the miracle that is a single second of life?  

Often, it's easy to praise God for the big things.  It's easy to witness the healing of a cancer patient and know that God is great.  It's easy to take a hike and be taken aback by all of the beauty of His creation.  It's difficult, sometimes, to give credit where credit is due in the smaller areas of our lives, but then I think back to Elijah in 1 Kings.  He was running for his life, because after Jezebel threatened to kill him for killing all of the prophets of a false god.  He ended up in the wilderness, praying that God would take his life.  Elijah felt scared, and alone, and after an angel gave him food and water, he went to a cave, where God told him to go climb a mountain.  On this mountain, Elijah faced a forceful wind, a great earthquake, and an intense fire, but the Lord was not in any of these.  Instead, the presence of the Lord came not in an incredible sight, but in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19).

Yes, God is mighty, powerful, and amazing, but He is also a caring God.  He gives us what we need--not just what we want.  Now this is Thus Saith Sara:  I think Elijah needed something comparable to a "hug."  He was terrified for his life, exhausted after running for about 40 days without food or water, and I can only imagine how lonely I would feel after being my own company for that long.  So instead of using a powerful roar to talk to Elijah, God showed Himself in a whisper--a gentle reminder that He cared, and that was enough.  

Sorry for how long-winded I've been in these posts lately, but I just couldn't keep that last part to myself.  I'm still in awe at all of the whispers in my own life.  Whether that whisper comes in the form of a firefly, or the peace of a drive to nowhere, I simply want to continue listening for them.  

I realized something else kind of spectacular today.  Summer is amazing.  It provides the perfect opportunity for us to get a nice dose of Vitamin D, gives us an excuse to drink sweet tea in abnormally great quantities, and it brings out some of the most remarkable flowers.

Hibiscus are one of my favorites!

Have an amazing day!