I totally blew it yesterday. As I was getting ready in the morning, I felt a very strange, very strong and very out of the blue compulsion to bring my nice Nikon digital camera to the office. I'm not getting enough opportunities to take pictures lately; primarily because I don't ever have my camera available when all the best moments happen. And for some reason, that realization hit me strong yesterday morning. I always have a hard time explaining moments like this, but for some reason, I felt like Almighty God Himself wanted me to bring my camera to work. But I was in a hurry again, already carrying too much stuff...and we had a wallet stolen at our church just last Sunday, so I squashed the strange urge and went to work. I had more than enough practical reasons to disobey.But as soon as I walked into my office, I realized my mistake. The sun was shining in my windows, glinting through a drop of dew hanging from the very most tip of a new blossom on the very most top of my gorgeous peace lily plant. One glistening drop of water made it from the humble watering plate at the bottom of the plant all the way through up to the top and was just waiting for me there when I came through the door. It was a stunning moment of serenity; a picture I should have taken.
I stood there and stared at it for the longest time, with no camera in my hands. And all I could think of saying to God at that moment was "Sorry! I'm so sorry I didn't listen this morning!" Yet even now as I tell the story, I can still hear God's tender response almost audibly, "No Kevin, I'm sorry! I had a moment planned for us! It's no big deal, of course; I just thought you would like to get the picture. Sure, you disobeyed again and you shouldn't ever do that. But please realize the lesson here...disobedience hurts you, it doesn't hurt me. I'm just sorry you missed another great picture." (God can be very wordy sometimes!)
Pastor Mayme and I tried to capture the dew drop with her little camera, but we couldn't get it. It just didn't work for me. I didn't know her camera and hers couldn't do what mine can do. The moment was missed.
In a couple weeks, we're going to begin a four week conversation called "Surprise Me God," based on Terry Esau's book of the same title. The series is a very simple, 30 day experiment in listening and looking for God sightings. Every day begins with a simple, three word prayer - surprise me, God. And then we watch and record what happens. Terry Esau himself will be here on Sunday, April 19th to help kick off the series. It should be thought-provoking.
Obviously, I need help in this area. I have a sneaking suspicion there are lots of pictures I'm probably missing.
