Everywhere we look in this world, we see examples of God’s love and creative power, beautiful even though they are marred by sin. For example, I can look out the window of my office at Steps to Life and see green grass, blue sky, a hedge row of trees. But, between the glass in my window and the hedge row of trees, what don’t I see?
I can see the gravel in the road between my house and the ministry office building, but what I don’t see, unless I look very carefully and closely, is the nest of the killdeer. These intriguing birds build their nest in rocks, and their eggs are colored and marked in such a way that they blend right in with the rocks that make up their resting place until the eggs hatch.
Gnats. Those annoying tiny insects that fly around all the time. You can hear them when they fly close to your ear, but unless they land on your arm or are joined together in a flying platoon, you can’t see them. They are attracted to moisture like puddles of water, garbage cans, overripe fruit. They are also attracted to us—our perspiration, tears from our eyes, our body heat.
I can look out my window on any given day and see the trees swaying in the wind. I don’t see the wind, but I can observe its effect on everything outside.
If I have my window open, particularly in the morning as the sun comes up, I can’t always see just where they are, but I can hear the meadowlarks singing to welcome the day. This is my favorite bird song.
I can smell the rain, even when it isn’t raining yet right where I am.
I can watch the clouds as they drift across the sky, barely able to perceive their movement because they drift both in the direction the wind blows them, but also changing shape. One minute I might see a dog in the clouds, but in another, an elephant or bear.
If I leave the building and walk around campus, I might see some ducks or geese floating around our pond. I can see them, but I cannot see their feet moving much quicker than their movement around the pond might suggest.
Steps to Life owns several acres of ground. I can see a couple through my office window. What I don’t see are all the various insects that live on and in the ground. It is estimated that each acre of ground is home to around 400 million insects of all different varieties and species, and that is a conservative estimate. It depends on the type of soil and the region where you live.
All of this made me think about heaven. I cannot see heaven right now, but the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy paint magnificent word pictures for me so that I can imagine it, even in my sin-marred imagination.
I think of the Holy Spirit. I cannot see Him, but I can see the effect He has on me and others who allow Him to perform His transformative work in our lives.
I cannot see the angels, but I am alive today because they have protected me many times that I know of, and I’m sure many more times about which they will tell me later.
I have not seen Jesus, but I know that He left heaven to save me, and you. One day, we will see His face and hear His voice, but until then, we can look around this world and see, hear, touch, and smell, all the miraculous things He has given us to remind us of His love.
Did You Know?
If you live in the Amazon Rainforest, you might be sharing your little acre with as many as 70,000 different species of insects.