Tag Archive: beauty


Morning Oblation

Each morning, Lord,
I come over the hill and see
The vista You’ve laid out for the day.
Sometimes, it’s bright and sunny.
Sometimes, it’s cloudy and overcast,
But whatever it is, I am fascinated
With the way You paint the landscape.
The foggy mornings with a bit of sun,
Peeking out between multi-colored clouds,
Make my favorite scenes!
The rolling hills alternate with smoky valleys
Till Your handiwork hides all the buildings
That mar the image of a grand wilderness.

Every morning, Lord,
I am reminded once again that You,
And You alone, are the source of beauty—
That You only can delight my soul
With the peculiar twist of something unnamable,
Which no person has ever quite given me…
Joy unspeakable, perhaps, but in a quieter sense.
Here, I am replete with contentment,
Sure of Your goodness.
Here, I contemplate and meditate
The brief moments I have for Your new view
Before I am forced to turn the wheel and
Refocus on the drive in to work.

Thanks, God, for the pleasure of Your presence
In the exhibition of Your exquisite earth!

Brilliant Iris

I saw the sun the other morning
Peeking through a crevasse in the clouds
Like a brilliant iris of light,
(Too bright to see the color)
Staring through the vast, dark grey eyelids.
Even when the sun rose to its hidden place
Behind the upper mass of moisture,
The brightness of that spot drew my vision
Till all the last remnants of radiance
Faded to the jaded blue of the indifferent sky.
But bright hope kept shining within me…
Beyond the canopy of clouds,
Sun shone with all her beauty and
I felt touched by it, gifted with it,
As if I were a carrier of that light
In some supernatural, ephemeral way.
But no one else could see it, feel it… touch it.
So I curled the hope up inside me,
Snuggling with the joy already there
Until it blossomed into fresh faith.
Father sure knows how to paint a beautiful sky!

Psalm

The splendor of Your holiness
Is like a newborn star,
Whose brilliance light the universe,
Whose beauty shines so far.
The glory man cannot embrace
Displays Your greatness, hides Your face.

I pray, O Lord, that I would be
Your light of hope for men
That all who come could only see
Your grace, Your love for them.
Exemplify Your mercy, Lord,
Redeeming lives with every word.

Holy Spirit, breathe new power.
Renew my passion for
Your people in this very hour.
Please, call us all toward more.
And God, please, multiply Your life
For everyone who seeks Your light.