Brilliant hues of pink,
pastels of mauve, peach and baby blue.
You, in all Your glory.
And I know You did it for me
because it so sharply contrasts
the colours of my world.
I am enshrouded in the murky,
death-like grip of greys and black.
You calmed the wind for me tonight
so the lake was a shimmering
mirror to highlight Your painting.
You, in all Your power.
And I know You did it for me
because the waves that crash
into my soul day after day
have been relentless.
I wanted to ask You, oh Glorious One,
why You won't paint new colors in my life...
I wanted to ask You, the God whose power calms
the sea with just a word,
why You won't still the storm in me.
But, something in my spirit tells me
that tonight is not a night for questions...
It's a time for silence, awe and gratitude.
So thank You for giving me
the gift of tonight--
of seeing a majestic You.
I'll save my questions
for another night.
--Eden July 21, 2005
Juanita
The above prose was written five summers ago. The breathtaking sunset was just a month ago.
I've reflected and given thanks many times these past six weeks for the gift of enjoying this year's summer season. How grateful I am that God in His mercy has painted new colors in my life; that the storm within has been calmed .
Living life five years ago was about survival....about struggling to believe there was a light at the end of the tunnel I was in. It was a time in which I wondered if I would ever laugh again...ever taste the goodness of life that had been stripped away. Gripping anxiety and torturous depression were my constant companions.
But He gave me incredible sunsets, among countless other gifts, to remind me of Who He was.
And today, I can laugh until it hurts, and fully engage in life's joyous goodness. My spirit knows serenity, and my mind has gained peace. I have even glimpsed the sovereign workings of my God throughout those years of suffering. The unanswered questions remain in His safekeeping.
"What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me?"
--Psalm 116:12
May my life be an all encompassing response.
