the upward look

This morning I viewed the breaking dawn as the soft pinks and orange tints of a newborn day reflected off broken banks of light gray clouds.  It occurred to me that the beauty was increased by the clouds.  I suppose we do need some clouds...  I considered the awesome spectacle that God recreates on a daily basis as He brings light, once again, to us.  He fashioned our world in such a way that the upward view is ever changing and ever fascinating.  Mystery and wonder are in the skies and even weather patterns defy absolute prediction.  By way of contrast, I reflected on the view of earth from space.  From space the view of earth becomes a well defined focal point.  It is beautiful, but the blackness of space is the dominant reality and there is no day there where dark becomes light on a regular basis.  From the sky we receive our cue to fresh starts every 24 hours, our months are marked by the rotation of the moon every 30 days and our year coincides with one trip around the sun.  The earth makes sense as a dwelling place for man because of its relationship with the great celestial bodies above.  And so the Lord is the apt dwelling place for man spiritually because of our relationship with Him.  It is our view of the Lord, like our view of the skies, that is full of wonder and mystery and yet full of meaning as well.  We are earth dwellers with vital heavenly ties. Job 26:5(the Message) He spreads the skies over unformed space, hangs the earth out in empty space. He pours water into cumulus cloud-bags and the bags don't burst. He makes the moon wax and wane, putting it through its phases. He draws the horizon out over the ocean, sets a boundary between light and darkness. blessings, Rob Smith