The Moon

I was thinking about the moon while I was driving to work Friday morning. I was on the road at 5:50 a.m. and there was a beautiful almost-full moon up in the sky with a halo around it. I love the moon. My heart was heavy because I knew Jesse's family was leaving for Texas in just a few hours and that with every beat of my heart and every tick of the clock, they would be farther and farther away from me . . . so I saw the moon up there and I was comforted . . . that very same moon would be shining in El Paso, wouldn't it? Just like it shines here in Grand Rapids. So if Jes and Di, Emma or Chris or Matthew looked up and saw the moon shining, and I looked up and saw the moon shining, wouldn't it make us feel closer together since we would be looking at the very same thing even though we were very far apart? The grandkids are probably too little to appreciate that fact, but it was a nice thought and it soothed my heaviness all the way to work . . .

This is actually a sunrise

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from Galveston Island

I was listening to one of my favorite albums by Sara Groves as I drove to work: ADD TO THE BEAUTY. This is my favorite song on the album --

YOU ARE THE SUN

You are the sun shining down on everyone

Light of the world giving light to everything I see

Beauty so brilliant I can hardly take it in

And everywhere you are is warmth and light

And I am the moon with no light of my own

Still you have made me to shine

And as I glow in this cold dark night

I know I can't be a light unless I turn my face to you

Repeat

Shine on me with your light

Without you I'm a cold dark stone

Shine on me! I have no light of my own

You are the sun, you are the sun, you are the sun

And I am the moon

I've been designing cards around lighthouses and sunrises for the last little while and so I have spent some time looking up Scripture passages that have to do with the theme of light. I especially love John 8:12 where Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." There is actually a ton of passages in the Bible that expound this theme (and I have them filed away in a Word document for quick reference). I never get tired of reading them or thinking about the illustration of light and darkness. Another favorite is: "God is light, in him there is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5. I love to think about that! No darkness in Him. Light of the world, shine on me -- without you, I'm a cold dark stone -- I have no light of my own!

It is Sunday evening. It has been a long week, sad in many ways. Jesse called a few hours ago to tell me they had finally reached the state of Texas but were not going to make their goal of El Paso tonight. He reported that all were doing well, but the trip was more difficult than what they had thought -- well, two cars, three small children and a very large cat -- imagine the stuff that can happen! He sounded good, though, and said they would make it to base by tomorrow evening.

Well, that's all . . . I am "blogged out" for the weekend. But remember you dear ones in Minneapolis, Austin, Houston, on the road to El Paso, and our ministry-traveler in Canada -- look up at the moon and remember I am looking at that very same moon here in Grand Rapids -- missing you and loving you!