Lessons From The Road

We are taking a road trip today. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, the snow in the fields and on the trees is brilliant white.

A few miles back I saw magic. The snow-adorned weeds and brush alongside the road caught the sun in just the right way as to sparkle like they had been sprinkled with fairy dust. I watched the twinkling, brilliant and beautiful, as we passed mile after mile. I had never seen anything quite it before. Even as I wished I could capture the sight with my camera, I knew that no camera lens would be able to capture the magic I was seeing.

I thought about the glittery Christmas garland that’s everywhere right now, and I was struck with how gaudy and false it looks in comparison to what I was seeing at the side of the road. How often I look at things in this world seeking, in vain, the perfection and beauty that is only found in that which is eternal. All of my desires, all of my hopes, all of my grief, all of my sorrow, it all pales in comparison to God’s majesty.

A few miles down the road and we drove through a fog bank. Visibility was difficult. We slowed down in order to safely navigate the curves ahead. The sparkles of the sun-kissed snow were just a memory. I’ve been walking through a fog bank in real life too. It’s been a rough go. I’ve not caught a glimpse of anything sparkly for a while now.

This morning, it wasn’t long before we were out of the fog and, once again, driving past snowy fields bathed in sunshine. The magical sparkle of a few miles back was no more; we had changed direction slightly and the sun was just a bit higher in the sky. My naked eye could no longer see the glitter but I realized it was really still there. The right kind of light could make it visible again.

As I pondered all of this I sensed the presence of God. I was reminded how just the right kind of light could restore the joy in my own heart too. Never mind the fog, never mind a change of direction, God’s light can penetrate all of that. It’s my choice to look at life, not with natural eyes, but with the supernatural vision gifted to me by my Creator. It’s when I remember to do that, that the fog will lift and the sparkle will return.

That’s the promise I am holding on to today as I look for the magic.