Flashes before your eyes.

A loud thunderstorm rolled through this morning just before the sun came up over the horizon. Since there was no sunlight, the flashes of lightning illuminated my bedroom.  The heavy rain was soothing but the thunder kept me awake.  So I lay in my bed pondering, reflecting.

The past two weeks have been a blur.  Going on vacation seems to make time go by faster.  It’s supposed to be a time to slow down but the things to see and do come at you as if you were driving by them in a fast car with your head out the window.  You see them in pieces.  It comes at you in streaks and only until you slow it down, can you make sense of it all.

So as I stare straight above and watch the ceiling fan churn, those images start to become clear.

During the past two weeks I’ve seen the clouds from above.  I’ve touched the ocean floor and swam with the most colorful sea life, witnessing the beauty and mystery of God’s creation.

I’ve walked through preserved pieces of history and sat where a great writer once sat.  I learned that even the greats aren’t perfect and that God can make a masterpiece out of us even when we are broken and flawed.

I’ve missed people, been annoyed by people and have been moved by people.  And I’ve learned that, no matter what, I wouldn’t trade those people for anything.

I’ve stretched myself physically and have paid the price for doing so. I’ve felt the joy of winning and the agony of defeat.

I’ve seen talented musicians on street corners sharing their passion, hoping for a break.  I’ve seen the broken, darker side of this world and I’ve seen the hope that it seeks.  All the while, I’ve seen my own flaws and I’ve seen the strengths that only God can provide.

So as I lay here with my head on the pillow, the storm passes on and the rain begins to dissipate. And as I examine where I’ve been and what I’ve seen, I realize that I’ve only seen a glimpse.  God has an amazing way of telling a story.  He often tells it in short bits and pieces.

Sometimes we see God in people and places and experiences.  Sometimes He reveals Himself in storms, through rumbles of thunder.

Sometimes we see God in quick, bright instances, in lightning streaks that illuminate a room.

Like flashes before our eyes.