I was just thinking about ...

 

 

Life on the Edge



The Waves just keep coming, splash and silence, splash and silence. Their cadence continues, on and on, always the same. It’s easy to get lost in thought sitting at the edge of Lake Michigan ; listening to the lake gently massaging the sandy beach with each wave. The sun’s getting hot overhead and I consider suggesting to Kim that we head back home before we burn. Vacation has come to an end; we start heading home in a bit. Back to the children, back to the job, back to the bills, back to real life.

No, Kim is still taking pictures of that crazy seagull. Perhaps I’ll continue my silent vigil over the water and enjoy where I’m at. The rhythm of the waves beckons the lyrics of a lullaby with its soothing calmness that eases tensions and washes worries far away. I recall the first time I stepped up to the edge. Facing west, I strained to catch a glimpse of the impossible; the Chicago skyline sixty miles away. Several times I tried this until I finally gave up and began to enjoy the beauty currently surrounding me.

As I ponder this, a sense of pity flows over me for those hopelessly obsessed with trying to catch a glimpse of Heaven, or of God. You know the type, always praying for Jesus to come quickly, always bemoaning the state of our communities and/or world, always comparing the beauty of Heaven to the cesspool on Earth. Nothing here is ever good or worthwhile; we have to wait till we all get to heaven to see real beauty. Sorry, but I don’t agree.

There is the story of a wise old man who sat outside the gates of a city. A traveler came up and asked, “What are the people like in your city?” “What are they like where you came from?” the old man asked. “They were hateful and mean, a rotten people,” he replied. The old man suggested, “Better move along then, all you’ll find here are the same.” A second traveler approached the old man to ask him about the city. The traveler was then asked the same question as the prior traveler about the people in the last town he came from. “Oh, they were friendly and helpful.” “Then go on in,” the old man said, for you’ll find the same here.”    

I see plenty of beauty right here on Earth. But you have to look for it. Granted, we are a fallen people and have messed up things here and there. But there is enough of God’s perfect creation left to leave you speechless when you catch the vision. Look for beauty and you’ll find it, look for ugliness and you’ll find that also. Which would you rather look at, the rotting carcass of a large fish washed ashore, or the elegance of a seagull skipping along the waves of a crystal blue lake. You make the choice. Hey, gotta go before I get sunburned. Oops, too late.

Ah well, come back anytime, I’ll be here and so will God.

Pastor Dennis

 

    

If you would like to be notified by email when Pastor Dennis updates his devotion, please click here to be added to our mailing list. 

Back