Reflection

I waited in line at the fast food place we decided to pick up food and watched as the sky turned a magnificent shade of orange and red. The sun was making its final descent over the curve of the sky and I could help but be amazed at the awesomeness of our God. From the back of the car I heard video playing paused voice say, the sun is still up and I can see the moon. Traveling home, I too noticed the moon. I thought to myself how is it that two objects, meant to provide light, can be so different in the same sky. The sun delivers brilliant shows of color as it ascends and descends, daily. So bright, that looking into it directly results in black spots blinding for many moments afterward, slowed traffic on busy mornings, and hands providing shade when positioned in its direction. The moon cast no color during ascending and descending. The color is white or gray with light barely directing paths in the night. This, is what led me on a week long conversation in my head. Playing with words and trying to understand the difference? How could two objects, with the same purpose be so completely different?

My first thought was as a representation of God with color and beauty that governs the day and the moon was a representation of the enemy governing over the night. I played with the words but I could not get them right. I knew God wanted to see, to understand, something. Oh God of Heaven and Earth, speak…

The book I am reading during my quiet time in the morning took a turn that could only have been divine timing as the author talked of the Harvest Moon. The first morning, I did as the author and I went outside where the moon still hung in the early morning as the Sun shone colorways of orange across the sky. The moon lay perfectly still in between two leafless trees from the view point on my porch. The crisp air stung at my still wet hair, reminding me that spring had not yet come. I snapped a few pictures, desperately trying to capture what only my eye could behold. The camera eye could not capture what my God made eye could see. I lingered as long as the cool air allowed and walked back in, still unsure of the message my God was sharing.

Unable to shake this feeling that I needed to understand the moon, I googled Moon light.

“The moon shines because its surface reflects the light from the sun. And despite the fact that it sometimes seems to shine very brightly, the moon reflects only between 3 and 12 percent of the sunlight that hits it. The perceived brightness of the moon from Earth depends on where the moon is in its orbit around the planet.” (livescience.com)

The moon’s light is only a reflection of the sun…. That was something and my mind began to shift, but still, I knew I was missing it. What was God trying to tell me?

The next morning, the woman in the book lay in worship before the Lord in a sea of wheat, praising the Savior for creation. I looked toward the door and quickly shook off the small voice telling me to go outside. A car drove down the road and another voice said, they will see you. I looked back to my book, but my eyes quickly looked to the door and I began to walk. I grabbed a shawl from the coat closet and wrapped it around me, unclear of the Lord’s desire for me to walk outside. I opened the door and listened to hear if my husband was still in the shower. I saw the moon stationed between the trees and I wanted to be closer. I walked the steps down to the sidewalk and stood without moving to the grass. My mind thought of the author laying on the ground and I looked at my work clothes and dismissed this thought but instead I sunk as low as my aging knees would allow and began to thank God for the beauty I was seeing.

It was at this moment I heard God speak and tears were flowing down my face without my knowing. We are the moon….. We are a reflection of Christ. Without Christ, we are void of light and only darkness. It is his love that reflects off us and provides light into an other wise dark world. The light that shines from us depends on how close our relationship orbits with the Father, growing brighter the closer we get. Tears continued to flow as I remained low as long as my knees allowed, repeating, we are the moon, we, are the moon, thank you thank you. Just as the moon was created to reflect the sun’s light over the darkness of night, we were created to reflect the Son’s light over the dark world.  I rose slowing not wanting the moment to end, the beauty in the morning glow of revelation swept over me and tears stained my work clothes as I sat back down to enjoy the last few minutes of coffee before the busy and let the tears continue to flow.   

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

                                                                                        John 1: 1-5

Amen