Always Bigger

My imagination must have a leak and I don't think I am the only one who has that problem.

Our neighborhood is draped over two of the highest hills in the city which means that, on a clear day, I can see a LONG way into the distance. Most importantly, looking southeast, Mt. Rainier is in our direct line of sight. Always drawing our attention, we can overlook the Seattle skyline and the expanse of the Puget Sound for the mammoth mountain that seems to quietly hover on the horizon, acting like a giant overseer of the city.

Because my imagination leaks, as soon as I close my eyes or turn my back, I forget just how big it is. The next time I turn around to look, it is bigger than I remembered.

Out walking with Adrienne one night last week, we came over a ridge and got a clear view of The Mountain as the oranges and pinks of the setting sun reflected off of it. Amazing. Even from around 100 miles away we were amazed at its immensity and the detail we could make out in that light. One of the two of us said to the other (my memory leaks so I don't remember who said what), "That never gets old." We both marveled, not just at the fact that gazing upon that expression of God's beauty never gets old, but that we have an insatiable hunger for it.

My imagination leaks, but we were made to hold it all in. We were made to soak in the memory of every detail of the glory of God he reveals to us. For me, all I have to do is turn my back for a moment and I will forget what I just saw, but there will be a day when my leak is healed and I will grow bigger in treasuring the glory of God. The more I will see of Him, the "bigger" I will get. The bigger I get, the more I will be able to hold in.

But, ultimately, this picture isn't about how much bigger I will get. 

The joy that we had in being reminded how big Rainier is is the joy of remembering again. When we see Jesus face to face, there will be a deep, resonant joy in knowing him in a new way every time we look on him. In his presence our imaginations won't leak The bigger the picture of his glory we hold in, the more capable we will be to hold in more.

We will get to see Jesus for everything he is and realize he is always bigger than we thought he was. The joy of heaven will be to gaze upon his beauty and, not only never grow bored, but always grow more hungry to know him...always know there is a depth of himself that he will gladly share with us for our joy. We will drink deeply of his glory and find that we are not only satisfied, but that every drink is as pleasurable as the first- or more so.

Our God will always be bigger to us. We will always be surprised. We will always want to go, as C.S. Lewis put it, "Further up and further in." 

God help us to see you like that now...and not leak!

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11 ESV)

The Mountains are Still There

Today is the first day in a few days that I cannot stop and gawk at Mr. Rainier. There are times when people have asked “Is that it?” unsure if what they are seeing is The Mountain or not. But, when you look South through the Seattle skyline and actually see The Mountain, you know that it is “it.”

This morning, the clouds that typically slowly crawl over the horizon are hiding the mountains. The marvels of sculpted granite sprinkled with snow are somewhere behind the rain.

Somewhere hidden from my sight.

I long to see the beauty behind the clouds. There is a comfort in seeing them, feeling small in compared to them. There is a sense of being put in my rightful place and, not only being okay with that, but longing for it.

But, today, I will not see them. I will have to remember that they are immovable. I will have to hold on to the truth my eyes have seen in the past: they are not going anywhere. It is in their very nature to not go anywhere.

There are days that I will simply have to remember the truth that the mountains do not go away because I cannot see them… and wait for the time when the clouds part and I can see again the Beauty that is hidden behind the storms.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…By faith [Moses] left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” Hebrews 11: 1, 27