“AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE ROUND ABOUT THEM”

 

I have always loved that verse from the Christmas story: “And the Glory of the Lord shone round about them”.  It resonates with how I feel when I come across a breathtaking view, that, indeed, the Glory of the Lord was shining all around me.  Wrapped in mists on the rocky edge of Acadia, seeing Bryce Canyon frosted with snow like huge iced castles,

 the ocean on the bay side of the Outer Cape where the tides goes out for miles and the sunset is reflected in bands of orange and gold in the water trapped between the sandbars: all to me, visions of His Glory.

This Christmas was like that.  I headed to Maine in mid-December; leaving a 60-degree TX behind in exchange for what I thought would be sub-zero temps.  However it stayed above 0 the whole time. Yeah!  The glory was that the snow started on the last leg of my journey and in the morning I woke up to my favorite of favorite scenes.   

Snow that clung to every branch and twig,  where the world was white, topped off with a red cardinal hunkered in the apple tree, looking exactly like a Christmas card cover.  Glory, and how thankful I was for it.  God knows how I miss the seasons, and I felt this was my own special delivery package from him.

I had been through a few months where “Glory” was bouncing off me, as though my brain receptors for beauty where coated in Teflon.  I kept telling everyone, “I am sending happy messages, but they are splatting and ending up around my ankles! “ Such is depression. One more time, I felt I was taking the role of the lost lamb who went over the cliff, and God was, once again, faithful to leave the 99 to come rescue me!  If I were him, I would be thinking of putting up an “invisible fence” and giving me a shock collar!

At any rate, all I wanted for Christmas was “my two front lobes, so I can wish you Merry Christmas” (those among us old enough to remember “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth” can put that wish to music!) And Yeah!, my wish came true, just in time to see the glory of a New England Christmas, the glory of the joy and excitement and outright hilarity of my grandchildren and even the joy of tearing up at certain Christmas carols as I always do. For that matter, that was how I knew I was coming “back”.  Washing the floor, listening to Josh Groban sing “Ave Maria” and have a tears come; I wanted to shout for joy!  This is ME, this is the old Pat!  Yeah, I am back!

I know this is another “personal history” blog but now that I AM back, let the natural history ones flow.  A huge part of my optimism stems from the fact that after 6 months of not being able to walk without crutches I am finally on my own two, somewhat limping, feet.  But it is the hands that are free to carry, and feet that can stand on their own that should open the door to all the things I loved doing so much.  The nature center will begin its program the first week of Feb and I pray I will be there, the Wildlife refuge even sooner, and teaching Sunday school with my puppets starts next Sunday.  From where I am sitting, it all looks like Glory!  I even hope to go back to the stable, perhaps not to ride, not yet, but to take horses out to graze or help about in some way, for I had said the joy of being around them was equal to the joy of riding. 

My prayer for you all is the ability to see “Glory” when it comes your way in the coming year. I sadly know many a good friend who is sitting in the hot seat as we speak; Glory may look a little dimmed.   I stand in awe of those I know who never lost sight of it, no matter their circumstances.  They stand out as heroes worthy of their own book in the Bible. 

May 2015 bless us all with the vision of the Glory that is around us, but if circumstances are blurring the view, than I pray those who can see, come along side you and carry you through till your vision improves, for that is exactly what my amazing friends did for me.  And you know who you are.  You WERE part of the Glory I saw and I can’t thank you enough. 

Happy New Year everyone.. Pat