For the Beauty, the Glory, the Joy

I'll repeat briefly what I have drawn out in an earlier post: our five physical senses exist to sharpen our five spiritual senses.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Be- snooze.

Fifteen minutes later: beep. Beep. Beep. Be- off. 5:45 A.M.

No, no, no - don't get back in bed. This is too good to miss.

After I stagger in the dark for a while, I make my way to the bathroom and pop out my retainer then brush my teeth. I glance to the window; it's still dark - just what I want. So I make my way to a room void of people and peppered with books. No, I do not turn on the light right away. Rather, I move over to the window pane. The eastern horizon is a glowing orange. I look down into the field and see fog rising above the frost. But this is not enough. I must feel. I find myself not moments later opening the door to the outside. And I feel.

The November air is harder than October, but we're still friends. I love November. I willingly offer myself to her, and she gently nips. Her cool air meets my warm face. Inhale. Yes, she is fragrant. The still water on the lake yonder reflects the first light of the morning and the trees on the hill beyond.

From the first light of the morning
To the last warm glow of dusk,
Every breath we take is mercy,
For it is God's grace to us.

After I go inside, I hear a bird singing. She doesn't know it, but I listen to her song.

And my heart sings with her and with the whole of the morning. The beauty of this creation is unfathomable. It is more real, more alive than had ever thought possible - this is like Heaven. And I begin to ponder what the other places of the world must be. Sure, I have seen the Grand Canyon, the mountains in Colorado, the plains of North Texas and Eastern New Mexico, the deep blue shores of Lake Michigan, orange and red leaves of the Midwest, the sands of South Carolina and Florida, the East Coast, Arizona sunsets, and many Indiana sunrises. But what about a European waterfall? What does the setting sun on the Saharan Desert look like? Show me the Nile. Lead me to Angel Falls.

I can only imagine.

And it nearly breaks me. The very thought is almost too much.

And how much more beautiful is the God who made it all.



For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies -

Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love -
Brother, parent, sister, child -
Saints below and saints above
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.