God Is in the Details

God is in the details.

I tried to find out who said this first.  But I don't think anyone knows for sure.    It's possible the first memorable utterance of these words was spoken thusly: "God is in the detail." Supposedly it's more about how you should pay attention to your work and do it well, down to the last detail...maybe because God is watching.

And then what?

Thou shalt be rewarded in heaven?

I interpret this phrase in a slightly different way, I think.

When I look at the details of God's creation, I get what I think is a tiny, tiny hint of what heaven is all about.  And I think that's why God wants me to notice them.

Last night, I was watching the movie "God's Not Dead" on television.  I'm sure you've heard of it.  It got a good rating from Christian groups.  If you are an atheist, you probably didn't like it, or didn't watch it, or felt uncomfortable about it.

I happen to think it made some good points.  See, when I look at creation, especially here in the UP, I have to see intelligence and not chance.  It makes no sense to me otherwise.  What else but God could be so immense and so very, very small all at the same time?

Yesterday we went for a drive through the forest.....I know....surprising, huh?  It was a little rainy, a little cold, and most of the fauna were snuggled away in their warm places.

or could be a hobbit...not sure

 The flora, however, gave an outstanding show.  The colors of autumn are just getting started, with a splash here and there.

SPLASH!

What was especially beautiful was the subtle light through the big trees along Robbins Pond Road. I recommend you drive there sometime.  Big red pines in their straight long lines:

looks inviting, huh?

the almost-sunny light from above, the ethereal lightening of mist in the interior.  I can't describe it correctly.

so I'll just show you

It was quiet and magic.  Not magic.  It was, as always, a gentle nudge from God.  It's the same thing I do when I create something in my shop that I think is especially pretty or unique.  I nudge my husband to see if he has noticed.  Is God looking for compliments like I sometimes do?  I think it's more like the nudge you give your children when you are traveling, and their heads are down, playing their videos or electronic games, and you want them to notice something in the landscape.  Not because you are looking to get anything from it, but because you want to make sure they don't miss out.

Monet understood

God doesn't want us to miss out on heaven.  So he shows us glimpses, every day and every day, to remind us to stay on the road, to lift our heads from our games and work and distractions and just SEE...

I hope you get it.  Because think this picture is beautiful.

The UP is a miraculous place. Because the glimspes come often.  In big nudges,

I know...

details

the trail less traveled

and tiny ones.

I have no idea what plant this is, but I've never seen leaves do this before

I hope you like lichen....

lots of details

...every day and every day.  Ironically, today as I type this, God is speaking, not in a still small voice, but it a noisy, big wind, with lots of rain. Those little details require a lot of water to grow, I guess.

Amen, God.  

Amen.