Glory!

Yesterday, just before 7am, I was approaching the
office and I was wonderfully greeted by a rich rose
and orange-tinted glow radiating from the ruins of
the ancient cathedral nearby. I was stopped in my
tracks, and I tried to soak in the soothing warmth of
the brilliant colors. All I could think and feel and ex-
claim was 'glory!'

I was stunned and in awe, and I quickly gave up any
intention of getting right to work. I soon made my
way to the nearby bluffs overlooking the North Sea.
It's a special, wonderful place of refuge for me. For
three years now I have found it to be a place of refresh-
ment and rest, especially when I am trying to craft
just the right way to turn a phrase for my writing. I
find delight breathing in the refreshing and invigor-
ating air, gazing upon the birds as they glide and
hover on the air currents above, and watching as
storm-tossed waves batter the pier below.

But yesterday it was not any of those things that
caught my attention. I was transfixed by the bril-
liant sunrise; it immediately captured my attention
and took my breath away. When I first got to the
bluffs, the sun was still below the horizon but the sky
low on the eastern horizon was lit up with radiating,
brilliant pinks, reds, and oranges. In a short time a
small portion of a bright yellow splotch broke the hori-
zon's edge. Ever so steadily the splotch grew increas-
ingly large, and bright red and orange-tinted colors
exploded along the the thin line where sky and sea
meet and kiss and become united as one.

As the golden globe rose ever higher, I noticed how
its radiant colors energized the world around me:
the blues of the sky and sea were the bluest that I
had ever seen, the greens the greenest, the golds
the most golden, and the browns the brownest. The
earth seemed to be hushed in holiness. Even the ever-
active birds did not take to flight, but remained
grounded as if pondering what was happening. The
only people I was aware of were two fishermen in a
small boat just off shore. They saw the spectacular
sunrise and paused momentarily from their labor to
gaze on the sight. The air seemed to be gently cares-
sing my face. The calm, placid sea soothed my often
restless soul. It seemed all of creation was drinking in
the amazing beauty of the rising sun and adoring the
glorious Creator. I just stood there, rapt in attention,
unable to think or do a single thing other than focus
on the beauty and splendor of the rising sun.

All that I could think and feel and exclaim was 'glory!'
And then it was time to get to work, and I was ready.

Shalom, Jeff T.