We vacation each year on a very secluded and sparsely
populated section of the Gulf Coast, about 25 miles down a long, narrow peninsula,
far away from everything. We don’t mind
sacrificing the long drive to civilization for the pure, unobstructed views up
and down the beach and out into the horizon.
I’ve always been so fascinated by the mystery of the
horizon. As my father (a former
seaman) has explained to me over the years, the “true horizon” is the actual point
on the line at which you can no longer distinguish the earth from the sky. On most days, if you fix your eye on the
clearest, sharpest part of the line, you will see a beautiful halo effect
coming out from it. Where the halo is,
the "true" horizon is.
On our last trip, with an impending tropical storm out further in the Gulf, we experienced very high winds and therefore, very rough water and high waves. I was fascinated to observe that the true horizon
never disappeared – halo and all. It was
right there, amidst the huge waves, just as it was on the previous days when the
ocean was as smooth as a big sheet of glass. Regardless of the circumstances of the weather or waves, that
mysterious, magical line was there and visible.
And beautiful.
As I thought about it, I realized that the true horizon line at which Earth meets Heaven is in me, too. Some days, I'm the trusting, loving smooth-as-glass girl. And on others, I am one scary raging rough-water lady. But that place where I let go and disappear into Him is always beautiful.
You see, if we really believe what we say we believe as Christ followers, then we
become that place where Earth meets Heaven because His spirit is in us. We are a place at which the beauty of His Creation disappears into the deeper and eternal beauty of Heaven.
The
place where the truth of hope and healing found in the Lord heals the brokenhearted.
The
place where the richest, most unexpected blessings are found in the midst of
the deepest of suffering.
The place
where the angels become our dance partners as we celebrate His blessings, presence
and love.
The place
where the peace that passes all understanding miraculously overtakes the things of this earthly life
that seem impossible to bear.
The place where I end and where He begins.
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