January Reflections on Immensity

My normal pattern is to rise before the sun comes up. It is refreshing to awaken to dark skies that are usually calm.

: As I sit in quietness and sip my morning coffee, I enjoy the bright, full-moon in the dark sky, knowing it will soon set and allow the sun to take over the day with its morning light.

: I glance at the front of my house and realize the sun is coming up. I look at the creamy peach skies with streaks of yellow made from the high jet contrails, the big oak tree that reaches up to the lightening skies.

: walk back to the southwest side of the house and see the moon is slowly sinking away from view. Within minutes, it is gone. It happens so quickly. Tomorrow–or the next clear day–I view the morning sky, the moon will be less round and slightly smaller.

Jim (my husband of three years–we were both widowed and after four years met and married) and I sat down last Sunday afternoon with loads of time on our hands. We had freezing rain and church was cancelled—a rare occurrence. We decided we should write down our goals for our new year, 2017.

January is a time for reflection. Of our future, our past, and now.

One of mine was to learn more about God and his attributes. What is attribute? Attribute: an inherent part of someone or something. I’m slowly working through a book on God’s attributes. Steadily reading through, carefully underlining phrases that stand out to me, then returning and re-reading the same chapter, taking notes. This week, it’s about immensity: huge or endless.

Huge or endless. We use those words for things that scarce can compare to the immensity of God.

Immense storm.
Huge turkey dinner.
Endless beauty.

I’m trying to limit my use of that word outside of God, for there’s little comparison between those I mentioned and God. The little circle of planet we live on is but a speck of dust, compared to the immensity of God.

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth

And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers

Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain

And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Isaiah 40:22

That’s God sitting above the circle of the earth where we’re like grasshoppers!

The psalmist was well aware of the glory of God in creation:

When I consider Your heavens, the

work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

What is man that You are mindful of him,

And the son of man that You visit him?

Psalm 8:3,4

The next few days, I’m going to think about immense, or immensity in the framework of God. Will you join me?