Flawed

Have you ever been amazed by God's beauty? I am sure you have it is not hard to see. There are those times though when we see it in such grandeur that our breathing is slowed our hearts quicken and our brains strain to accept the wonder of his work. I have witnessed God's work in many forms. I have seen the raw power and heard the magnificent roar of Niagara Falls. I have observed the slow and quiet strength of the Columbia river.  I have been stunned at the solemnity of a sunset. All wondrous. But nothing quite captures me like the mighty Rocky Mountains. Man, those mountains! When I am in the midst of them they have a tremendous effect upon me.  I am humbled. A big feat in itself.  I am humbled by the sheer size and magnitude of these monuments of God's presence. They are huge and inspiring and I am made aware of how small I really am. They do that - make you feel small simply because they are so huge.  So as I stand and stare and try and soak in the awe and get my heart and intellect to sync together I am overwhelmed with emotion. They are perfect and flawless in their glory. A privilege to look upon.  If you have never seen the Rockies in person put it on your bucket list.

Yesterday I would have said that the Rockies would rate as the most beautiful and amazing object of God's creative genius that I had ever witnessed. Many I am sure would agree. Today I would not say that. I would not say that today because of yesterday.

Yesterday started off normal enough. I woke and did the usual things to get ready for the day. My task for the day was to simply drive. That was all just drive. Someone had asked me if I could drive them to a place that was a couple hours away as they had no way to get there and it was very important that they get to this place. I said yes, after all a nice drive is good for me. I love to drive - it calms me and allows me to clear my head. I assumed (you know what can happen when you assume) this would be fairly uneventful. I had no idea that God would open my eyes a little farther so that I could see just a little clearer. He did this in a most unusual way.

This person I was driving came into my life just over a year ago and he has become my friend. I really enjoy his company. He is one of those people that you cannot help but like. He is generous and kind. He smiles most of the time. He is one of those people that makes you feel better just because he is there. So when he asked me to give him a ride it was any easy yes.

Not all would agree with my ascertation. Not all would come to the same conclusion as I have. Why would they not see him the same? My friend is addicted to crack. If you have any understanding of this addiction you will understand why not all see him in a positive light. His issue has become his label and overshadows who he really is. For many unfortunately his addiction is all they see.

Why has this happened? I believe the reason to be simple. We as humans have an adept ability to notice the issues in others (seldom ourselves) . We all do it - we all have picked out the "flaw" in others at times. No matter what it may be - addiction, personal appearance, lineage or economic status. Often it seems like a talent. All due to broken human nature (sin) to be sure. It is entirely unfortunate that this happens, not only to the person whose flaws have been observed but for the one observing. They miss something magnificent.

Yesterday I drove for a couple of hours with a man who many may have written off simply because of one "flaw" he has (Granted it can very destructive but if you spend anytime with someone who suffers from debilitating addiction you will see that most of the destruction occurs to themselves). I have come to know a great deal about this man. He is very talented. He has a vast amount of knowledge about landscaping, farming, construction, the oil industry, and life in general. He can fix much and what he can do with a Bobcat (skid steer) is as amazing as a talented artist with a brush.

 This is where God opened my eyes.

As I have said this man is a great guy and is my friend but I confess that I was not able to see him aside from his addiction. I too had trouble seeing him as God has made him,  as he was intended to be. God please forgive me.

I had thoroughly enjoyed the trip to the treatment centre where he finds himself for the second time. I pray it is the last but no more than he. It was a joy to be in his presence. When I got home and chatted with my wife I played the day over and then it hit me. It hit me like a hammer in the form of a question - "As we look at the grandiose mountains do we ever pick out the "flaws"?  The question floored me and the answer is obvious - no. When we look upon  the handiwork of God in a mountain and see the jagged juts and points, the incongruency of the peaks or random crags and caves do we see the issues, the mistakes, the flaws? Of course not - because there aren't any. Then why do we see them in his crowning achievement? Why do we see them in our friends, families and strangers.  Are they any less wondrous of a creation than the inanimate objects that fuel and inspire our poets and songwriters? I leave that question to you.

I once believed that the Rocky Mountains were the most amazing thing I had ever seen in God's creation. God has shown me through my friend I was wrong. It is not the mountains but something that we are surrounded by all the time. It is and always has been people. People created in the image of God (Gen 1:27).

Thank you Lord for the reminder.