The Artist's Exhibition

Quite without expecting it, I stumbled upon two art exhibitions yesterday...

After not very many hours of sleep, I awoke early. On a whim I opened my blinds to see if it would be another beautiful foggy morning; but to my utter surprise, there was beauty of quite another sort: the sky was a cacophony of pink and yellow cloud strokes of the sunrise set against the gray-blue sky of the dawn. A moment of worship... involuntarily my soul leapt in joy and awe and praised the Artist (who alone across all time and space is worthy of praise anyways).

Someday I'll go to the top of a mountain in the wee hours just to be there when the sun greets the horizon for the new day.

I had to leave my third floor window view for a while to get ready for work. When I returned, it looked like another winter morning... gray with undefined distant light -- which evoked even greater appreciation of the awe-filled moment.

The second exhibition is along the same lines. But first some background -- I was meeting a friend after work. Because of the length of the drive and the typical "rush hour" traffic between Beaverton and Newberg, I knew I needed to leave work "on time" at 5pm. And after an especially stressful day concluding a packed week, it seemed everything prevented me from leaving the office when I had planned to. Therefore, I was already running 20 minutes late... and the traffic was brutally unforgiving.

It was in this condition that I drove upon the second masterpiece. Driving the back roads route - but still in the suburbs - I happened to look away from the line of cars in front of me. My eyes were greeted by the half-bow of a vibrant rainbow. Surprised by joy again! And the song playing on the radio was about God's holiness and greatness -- and I sang in full, awestruck agreement.

But the story doesn't end there. At the top of another rise (for there are quite a few hills between Beaverton and Newberg), the Artist had painted a glorious sunset. Reds, orangey-yellows, and dusky purple - wispy brush strokes of clouds - contrasting the deepening blue-gray of the night sky…

The rainbow to my left. The sunset filling the right. And every one of the four Christian radio stations was playing songs about God's holiness. Amen.

My soul peaceful and overflowing with joy, my equilibrium restored by my Maker and impervious to the traffic... and when all was said and done, I arrived 2 minutes early.

God is so good.

How blessed by my Creator to experience His Majesty so vividly - twice - in the same day when I wasn't even looking for it. How often do I miss those timeless moments? Though I can easily say to expect the unexpected, I need to apply it better in my own day-to-day.