The other day, we were talking to our daughter Julie and her husband Rob about the times in our lives when creation astounds us: when we see the hand of God in a powerful storm or when we witness the roaring waters of a cascading falls or when we sense the carefulness of a hummingbird, feeding at nectar. These moments sometimes do not click as a gift from our Creator—an opportunity to ponder the splendor of what He has made for us to enjoy.
I hope that I never lose that sense of awe even in the smallest creative beauty of a daisy or in the heart-pounding first glance of the Grand Canyon.
One morning, I was on a journey across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Highway 2, headed east. The fog had taken up residence during the early hours. The thickness of the fog caused me to reduce my speed as I could not see beyond a few feet in front of the bumper. The only other time in my life driving through fog like that was when we lived close to the Fundy Bay in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. I was not unfamiliar with fog that completely blocks the pathway ahead. There were times, living in Canada, that the fog caused travel delays in the same way that a huge snowstorm prevents travel for some. So, on my travels in the Upper Peninsula, I proceeded with caution, having left the house very early to get a head start on the day.
My efforts to get that head start on the day were frustrated in some measure by this wall of thick, gray, moisture. I wondered when I would see the light of day, but I drove along slowly, alone on the road.
In one, split second, the glorious sunshine broke the fog wide open. The revelation before my eyes was one of an unrepeatable splendor—a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Let me tell you what the progression of events were that unfolded before me in a matter of five seconds at the most:
First, the sunshine dispelled every bit of fog in one split second.
Second, between every blade of grass and every leaf and every bush and every branch and every tree, spider webs held the droplets of heavy dew that acted as prisms where the sunlight sparkled with brilliant, exploding light.
Third, this dazzling light show caused me to pull my car to the side of the road to witness the event.
Fourth, it all vanished, and I was left asking myself, “What did I just witness?”
This moment would be very difficult to replicate. I had a front row seat to a light show that God had prepared for me that early morning.
This event took place many years ago, but the photo in my mind is as fresh as that morning. Having a glimpse of God in a five-second display has imprinted itself as a frozen moment.
