Thursday, January 29, 2009

God's thumbnail


i was out late last night walking my dog around the block in hopes of getting a good "potty" before bedtime and i started looking up at the night sky. in my galileo moment, in the clear sky, i saw a ton of stars. but what intrigued me the most was the moon. usually full moons are my fave, but last night it was the thin sliver of the visible moon that caught my eye. 

ya know the one: when only a sliver of the moon is visible. my granny used to say it was God's thumbnail. but something so new hit me last night.

the moon was barely visible. literally, only a sliver was showing. but i still knew the moon was there. i knew the moon hadn't gotten smaller, just because i could only see a little bit of it. i didn't doubt the existence of the moon because i could barely see it. i didn't doubt the nature of the moon, just because it wasn't full. 

i couldn't see it in its entirety, but i was still awed by it. i still believed it had the capacity to be full. and i knew that my view of it couldn't change its properties. 

so this led me to think about God. 

i realized in that moment that so often i doubt God's goodness or His sovereignty when i can't see Him in all of His fullness and glory. sometimes i only see a sliver of God and sometimes that causes me to doubt different things. when i'm in a valley or a difficult situation, i can't see clearly. i can't see the full picture. sometimes i can't even see a sliver. but my prayer is that when i'm in those situations, that i will rest on what i do know: God is good. He loves me. and He is in control. He will work everything out for my good and His glory. though i can't see it, though i can't see Him fully, i know He is there in all of His fullness.

my view of Him can't change who He is. when His presence seems distant or His goodness seems to be but a sliver, somehow we need to rest in the promise of Immanuel. He is there. 

"Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe."
- Jesus 


5 comments:

Emily said...

I wish I knew you....that we could meet for coffee...you are such an awesome woman!

Michelle :) said...

that literally took my breath away. awesome

Unknown said...

Lindsey, The first time I "wrote" you, my life was the best it has ever been. Since then, my life has been in a downward spiral and I think at times I have hit rock bottom and then the hits just keep coming. I won't go into detail but marriage, work, money, etc. are all involed.
Today I went to your MySpace because of your new EP. That led me to your bolg and to this very "episode" of it. I read it at work and just started crying. It hit me so hard. Thank you - I needed that TKO. It seems that God likes to talk to me through you for some reason. Anyway, thank you for being and for God to let you be.
Robert

Sunshine said...

I just want to thank you for your comment here regarding, "God's thumbnail." My family and I have been going through a valley of our own, and tonight I just happened to be looking at the sky and it was just as you described it, like "God's thumbnail."....How timely. What you said about struggling to see the whole moon, yet it is there, and so is God even if we can see only a sliver. Today I had been feeling lost, confused and worrying about God and not being able to see clearly afraid that he might not be there. Your comment here I just accidentally stumbled on BECAUSE I just so happened to Google, "God's Thumbnail" because of the moon I had seen tonight, and was thinking about all of my worries. And then happening to come across your words. Thank you for your perfectly worded, and timely words. Your words help to set me on solid ground long enough to look PAST my fear and helped me to see God, even in the darkness. Thank you dear stranger for lifting up someone out there you don't even know. Many Blessings to you whoever you are.

Sunshine said...

I just want to thank you for your comment here regarding, "God's thumbnail." My family and I have been going through a valley of our own, and tonight I just happened to be looking at the sky and it was just as you described it, like "God's thumbnail."....How timely. What you said about struggling to see the whole moon, yet it is there, and so is God even if we can see only a sliver. Today I had been feeling lost, confused and worrying about God and not being able to see clearly afraid that he might not be there. Your comment here I just accidentally stumbled on BECAUSE I just so happened to Google, "God's Thumbnail" because of the moon I had seen tonight, and was thinking about all of my worries. And then happening to come across your words. Thank you for your perfectly worded, and timely words. Your words help to set me on solid ground long enough to look PAST my fear and helped me to see God, even in the darkness. Thank you dear stranger for lifting up someone out there you don't even know. Many Blessings to you whoever you are.