Reflecting Glory

I was struck recently by how many layers of glory God has. It's not like an onion which you peal off each layer and the onion gets smaller and smaller. In God's case as you reveal more layers of Glory, He gets bigger and bigger. I decided to embark on a study of all His Glory...to be come a glory-ologist if you will.

Layer one is this very world we live in. This world which was not created for us but created to reveal the greatness which is God's ability to speak life into existence. Last summer walking with my mom, we had a flock of geese fly over our heads in perfect V-formation. It was almost as if we could reach out and touch them. We could feel the breeze of their wings on our faces. My mom declared "The Blue Angels have nothing on God." The Blue Angels are a group of fighter jets which do aeronautic marvels while ascending to the heavens at 100s of miles per hour. They are quite stunning to watch. Yet, these simple wings flapping together in perfect harmony sang the beauty of our Creator's glory better than any choir or any words that I can find to describe it. His glory was revealed in that quiet, late summer, evening stroll.

Several days later, I sat in my friend's hospice room, together we peaked through the clouds and through the window to watch those very Blue Angels fly over our heads. The room shook with the power of the thunderous jets. My heart shook with the memory of laughters and tears we made together in that room. There another layer of God's glory was revealed, our ability to Love. Our ability to give and receive love is God in us. In the way we treat each other, in the way we love, we have a chance to reveal God's glory here right now. My friend Janine said "I want you to know that your story is of kingdom importance." Her ability to love was God's glory revealed in my life and in this world.

There are so many more layers to come. For truly that is another layer of glory, the mystery of God...His glory that is just around the corner. The promise of eternity. My hope is that I will become a student of His promises, His story and His love, someday to be a reflection of His glory, just like that flock of geese and my friend Janine.

Bob is not my uncle

Bob's not my uncle, he's my hero...except I do have an Uncle Bob. My dad is named Bob and he's an uncle too. But those are not the Bobs I am talking about. The Bob I am talking about, the Bob who is my hero is Bob Costa...no, not that Bob Costa. This Bob Costa.

This Bob Costa is my hero because he loves so well...he is a volunteer with the special needs ministry at my church. Bob loves the kids, not because they have special needs but because they are them. He has this amazing ability to reach them, love them and comfort them. If a child is anxious or upset, often the thing that comforts him is resting his head on the shoulder of this sweet man. What's more, they know he loves them. He has a quiet strength and leadership in how he demonstrates the love of Jesus. He is a mighty worker for the kingdom of God. He loves kids and he loves Jesus. Bob is my hero.