Shaun Groves
Some people claim to be visited by heaven right here on earth. They say they’ve seen this world transformed before their eyes; they’ve seen scraps of God all over everything.
The serious Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards:
“The appearance of everything was altered; there seemed to be, as it were, a calm, sweet cast, or appearance of divine glory, in almost everything. God’s excellency, his divine wisdom, his purity and love, seemed to appear in everything; in sun, moon and stars; in clouds and blue sky; in the grass, flowers and trees; in the water and all nature; which used greatly to fix my mind. And scarce anything, among all the works of nature, was so sweet to me as thunder and lightning; formerly nothing had been so terrible to me. Before, I used to be uncommonly terrified with thunder, and to be struck with terror when I saw a thunderstorm rising; but now, on the contrary, it rejoices me.”
Illiterate evangelist Billy Bray:
“I praised God with my whole heart. I remember this, that everything looked new to me, the people, the fields, the cattle, the trees. I was like a new man in a new world. I can’t help praising the Lord. As I go along the street, I lift up one foot, and it seems to say, ‘Glory’; and I lift up the other, and it seems to say, ‘Amen’; and so they keep up like that all the time I am walking.”
An unknown farmer:
“When I went in the morning into the fields to work, the glory of God appeared in all His visible creation. I well remembered we reaped oats, and how every straw and head of the oats seemed, as it were, arrayed in a kind of rainbow glory, or to glow, if I may express it, in the glory of God.”
Rich Mullins:
The moon is a sliver of silver
That fell on the floor of a carpenter’s shop
Every house must have it’s builder
And I awoke in the house of God
I know when Thomas needed to touch the nail holes to believe, Jesus said it was better to believe without seeing. But I want to see anyway. I need to see. A lot of us down here do, God. Sometimes we think we’ll lose faith entirely if we don’t.
Show yourself.
Right here at my computer, gassing up the minivan, making phone calls, returning e-mails, eating lunch.
Cinde James says:
Wow!!!! My spirit is resonating with all of those quotes – thanks Shaun!
TransitionGirl says:
reminds me of what my dad says, “I know that God is real and good when I wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom with no problems” hehe. 😛
Texas in Africa says:
Have you ever read Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead? There’s a beautiful passage in there akin to these when a father and son clean the grandfather’s grave and the sun falls from the sky in such a way as to perfectly divide it between light and dark. It’s the only time in his life the son understands his father, and it’s because they can see God.
Rhonda says:
Great quotes. Must be a theme for the Lord for my blog today was on the same -“seeing”. Good luck with the benefit! The Lord bless!
NancyTyler says:
When I’m praying for people, I like to ask God to let them see or experience something that will remind them that He’s real, and that He has not abandoned them. Sometimes, we positively need proof, whether it comes in the form of a dream or a song or a pebble on the beach.
The moon has been beautiful lately. Each night this week, I’ve been at my favorite window, gazing at it and asking God to stir friends I know who are hurting to look up at that moon too, and feel as if He lit it just for them.
Look up tonight.
Tina says:
You quoted my favorite Rich Mullins song.
I moved to from Texas to Indiana in college, and heard that song during the early spring, when it’s grey and brown but for the occasional field of BRIGHT green winter wheat, and every spring that song gets pulled out to help me get through the season (spring is much slower in the north then in the south, it’s hard for me). I love how God uses His creation to draw us back to Him. And as a Biology major, that song sums up my belief “every house must have a builder” (Do I know how he built it? Does it matter?)… Anyway, thank you for reminding me of it again!
Cara says:
*sigh* I hear ya.
owlhaven says:
Praying for your upcoming trip!
Mary
Ron says:
I often “see” God the best with dark skies and closed eyes. Sometimes it helps to forget in order to remember.
misty says:
By the age of 18 I had lost my mother, my father and my older brother to suicide. During the holidays I often feel very lonely. I feel sad that I do not have most of my family. I wallow in self pity sometimes.
I love the snow. Fall is my favorite season with winter not far behind. Here in the Knoxville, TN we aren’t blessed with snow like we used to be. At night, when when the ground is covered white and the snow if sprinkling as it falls is the most beautiful sight to me.
One night, right around Christmas, I was feeling so lonely. I was praying and asking God does he even really care? I mean, why would he take BOTH my parents and my older brother and leave me here with my younger brother? Why couldn’t He just leave at least one parent? It wasn’t really fair that others have both parents that they don’t even like, much less love and I have none. Not even an older brother to help. (See the self pity going on here)
It started snowing…it was night and as always the most beautiful sight. I just started thanking God because I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that this snow was God’s give for ME. Just me.
My little taste of Heaven here on earth… God is so good and so loving.
John says:
Praying your trip goes well.