Promised Glory

R. D. Frazier — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:08:06 +0000

Promised Glory - Colorado mountains shrouded in late afternoon clouds (click on image to enlarge)

Hurry dominates the moment. Fatigue sets in as we conclude our self-indulgent play and head for shelter and home. Images of pristine white slopes sliding under our feet flash through fond memories of the day. Tomorrow’s work edges into thoughts. Transition from vacation to vocation begins, our mind preoccupied with self. Traveling just beneath the blessing of those snow-producing clouds, the highway darkens as evening approaches, but not quite yet.

Ahead a hint of golden-pink contrasts with the charcoal-blue skies and attention shifts ever so slightly upward. Pink turns to gray once again … must have been illusion. Eyes return to pavement as a turn to the north approaches. The curve slides behind us as self-absorption returns: home, work, memories of the day. Focus becomes tighter on our road ahead. Things we must do, things we want to do, stresses of our self-focused life crowd the mind, vying for priority. We fail to see the promise blooming on the eastern horizon.

In the periphery an evening dawn approaches, a break in the clouds revealing a God-priority promise. We are suddenly stunned by the contrast, shaken out of our self-focused mindset by a flash of brilliance. That same pristine mountain snow we used for entertainment now displays itself, boldly reflecting the light and promise of salvation. The creator-made mountaintops show themselves through the fog to those who will turn from their own indulgences and receive it as God reveals His grace and glory.

Faithfulness Forgotten

R. D. Frazier — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:58:13 +0000

A crimson leaf on the forest floor grabs the eye with saturated color.

The trail ahead promises no change; only a continuation of circumstance, each step mirroring the last with unperceived progress. Colors speak faintly under gray sky as cold sets in, occupying mind and soul. Light autumn rain merges horizon and landscape and a stiff breeze deepens the chill, provoking uninvited shivers; recollections of mountain vistas fade.

Was this our destination? Memories of this place in seasons past promised snow-capped peaks, rushing streams and the brilliant contrast of golden aspen against the muted hues of pine, fir and spruce. Instead we are met with shades of gray monotony and annoyance in this persistent cold rain, the chill seeping through to the bone. Are we on the right trail? In our struggle against the pallid gray veil, warm memories of place and time fail.

Attention shifts unavoidably as wet, unsure footing demands concentration and eyes shift from horizon to path. Nearby trees disclose damp, rich brown bark, unlike the drab, tree-shaped silhouettes obscured by the foggy haze of rain on a barely discernible horizon. Colors recently faded by the dust of time are rejuvenated as raindrops bathe rocks, soil and foliage.

A crimson leaf on the forest floor grabs the eye with saturated color. A photograph takes form; cold and rain retreat from consciousness. This one clear, unanticipated detail juxtaposed against a depressing landscape transforms mood. And life continues … I remember a youthful time when the direction of life was clear with an unobstructed horizon of salvation in Christ before me. But that was years ago in the ignorance of youth before a jaded view of life became the norm. ‘Busy’ness, ambition and the pressures of society had since obscured the detail of truth, the value of his pure and faithful relationship. Smug

understanding of life experience had eroded that clear horizon of hope even as the cold rain had veiled today’s landscape and hidden the magnificence of the mountain vistas beyond. Life had become fogged by circumstance.

This one conspicuous crimson leaf now articulates the importance of paying attention to the faithful daily blessings forgotten in the cold rain of our self-sufficient life where arrogance controls thoughts and actions. In our efforts to determine destiny by our own strength, we ignore the precarious footing we create. But the leaf, discovered because of struggling through a slip on life’s treacherous path, is a reminder of the close proximity of God and our forgotten relationship; perilous footing of desperation becomes a miracle for those who call on the sovereign God of daily blessing for deliverance from imminent destruction. Only then do we abruptly realize the futility of our assumed independence.

In that admission of our own insufficiency, unanticipated hope springs forth when we finally call on a forgotten God through prayer. From the midst of a desperate situation we realize that God is there next to us in the middle of our self-sufficient mess, waiting for us to acknowledge him through profound contrition. Our only viable response is to yield to his will and ask for deliverance through repentance. With that deliverance comes the peace that He is in complete control; the burden of our struggling has been lifted to his infinite shoulders. Visions of bright snow-capped mountain vistas ahead return.

The Right Idea » nature

Promised Glory

Faithfulness Forgotten