All For the Greater Glory of Thee!

Tuesday was the fist day of my classes for the spring semester of Seminary.  I had Preaching and Hebrew Readings.  I sat at my desk for nearly three hours Tuesday evening working at reading, translating and parsing the text of Jonah 1:1-3.  That is one hour per verse.  I was thinking to myself that I still have reading to do for my Wednesday class, and I am already feeling exhausted.  The week is not even over, and I have three more classes that I need to prepare for this week.  I am taking a total of 15 semester hour credits.  This is going to be an intense semester with deep theological and critical thinking which does not come naturally for me.  Actually it often makes my head hurt until I can't absorb or digest any more exegesis.  When I get to that point, I must quit and take a break by going within to meet God in prayer and meditation so that God can refill and refresh me.

Tuesday evening was one of those moments where I hit that brick wall threshold.  I decided to pray and meditate from my front office window that overlooks the city lights.  The moon was full and glowing purely, lighting up the night sky.  As I stared at it, I felt as though it was radiating through me filling me up with energy and stamina for this next semester.  I don't know why, but the moon always draws me in with a mystical energy that mesmerizes me.  As I reflect on the demands, the pulls, the flow and energies of the semester and life, the moon's phases gives me an example to the way its natural cycle cannot be altered or changed because it has been divinely set to be where it is at this exact moment. 



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I resonated with the moon knowing that I am also right where I am at with all the demands, pulls, and flow of my Seminary and life schedule.  It has already been divinely orchestrated.  I am invited to walk in it by doing each task that is before me by not looking back, not looking forward, but just being present in the current moment knowing God already has all of this taken care of on my behalf.  By following God's divine order in every detail of my life, I radiate God's glory and experience God's grace.  What beautiful and amazing grace God continues to extend and shower upon me.  It is a gift like no other gift that I have ever received in my entire life.  It has always been there, I was just spiritually blind to it.  It is a gift that makes me desire only God's abounding presence every moment of the day, hour, minute and second of my time.  I know this sounds selfish of me, but since I have experienced God in this way, I long and desire for God's holiness because I don't want anything to compromise this intimate relationship with God.  So this is my prayer.



Oh God,
Let me radiate like the moon in the darkest nights and places of this world.  My prayer is that others "will see you in me."  God, just like the moon shines of your glory, let me too shine of your glory with a pure, loving, merciful, and gracious heart, mind, body and soul.  Let all that I do be honorable and pleasing to you.  My choices, the way I live, how I interact with creation is not about me or for my personal satisfaction, but it is for the greater glory of Thee!  Amen. 

(photo credits are from internet resources listed on the photos or link provided)