“I see the moon, the moon sees me…..” Remember that song? My mom used to sing it to me all the time when I was little. And it played in my head again this morning….
At four this morning, I was greeted by s full moon in the sky – brilliant, perfectly round, big and beautiful. It was amazing and I could barely look away. Within moments, though, that same moon, still big and bold and brilliant and beautiful, was nearly completely covered by black clouds in the sky. Or at least they appeared black in the wee morning sky. The moon was still right there, but my vision of it was blocked by passing clouds.
I find myself amazed by God’s presence when I can see His hand clearly at work in my life. When circumstances seem to go my way. When life is “good”. In those times, God seems big and bold and beautiful.
But then unforeseen clouds come. Sometimes they are black and ominous. Sometimes they just appear to be ominous from my point of view. But they block my vision of God. And I can tend to see more of them than I see of Him. I wonder if His hands have stopped working and if I am alone with the clouds and darkness.
This morning as the clouds covered the glorious moon, I looked a little closer. And at the bottom edge, I saw a glimmer of light showing through. An outline of that beautiful moon that showed me that it was, indeed, still there, even though I couldn’t see it as clearly. And strangely enough, there was a different kind of beauty that I saw – the bottom edge, the outline of the moon in the shape of a smile, was shedding light on those clouds. And they were suddenly not quite so dark.
Just like my God. He is always there, always at work, regardless of whether or not I can see His hand. Circumstances interfere with my vision, but He shows me in some way that He is present and always will be. His smile through the clouds, that glimmer of light, comes in different forms. Sometimes through people, His word, nature or receding clouds of circumstance. And my heart again sighs in relief at the promise that He is always, always there, hands at work and arms open wide….and once again I can see the moon shine.
Isaiah 54:10 – Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Genesis 28:15 – I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.
Matthew 28:20 – And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
