Every Friday I join a community of bloggers for Five Minute Friday. One word prompt, five minutes. Unedited. The prompt this week is … Flee.
The call came to go outside and look up at the sky. The Northern Lights were visible and lighting up the sky. Everyone was looking up and taking stunning photos.
Everyone but me that is.
Not able to see anything with the naked eye, I ran in to grab my phone. Yet even with the camera on my phone, nothing was visible to me. I walked all around our house, more than once and was not able to see a single light in the sky. But the stars were shining brilliantly.
This morning I scrolled my social media amazed at all the photos. They all are stunningly beautiful but made me wonder all the more, why did I miss the experience?
The song began to slowly fill my thoughts until I had to pull it up on my laptop and listen to it. And the irony is not lost on me that The Northern Lights are seen in this video.
And then the Scripture came to mind:
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”
(Psalm 139:7, NASB)
Familiar Scripture and yet it fell on me fresh.
At times we sense, or see, God’s Presence near to us and at other times, not so much.
Looking at the definition of flee, the dictionary informs me that it is not only “a running away”, but also “to hurry to” (merriam-webster dictionary).
Perhaps we cannot flee, or run away from God because He is hurrying towards us.
Whether I feel or see God’s Presence, I am to trust that He is with me.
Even when, even then – I will trust Him, I will follow Him, I will testify of Him.
Yes, even in the silence.
** Photos used with permission from Lisa Coleman.
Today I may be joining …
Many people around us saw the Northern Lights vividly, but we only saw a pinkish cast to the sky. Thanks for your application.
I missed them too! But I’m so glad I don’t miss God’s wonderful presence. I love how you connect the two. Psalm 139 is a favorite!
The Northern Lights are too far north
for us down here to see,
and, y’know, for what it’s worth
that’s really fine by me,
’cause they’re said to be eerie,
a cosmic masterpiece,
and truly I am leery
of phenomena like these,
for I am just a caveman
without much broader vision,
and things I do not understand
fall into superstition,
and it’s better I don’t mess
with things I cannot address.
I missed them too and you put my angst into words beautifully – thank you so much!
I’ve missed them both times too. I don’t think they were really visible from my tree-lined southern yard. But I’ve enjoyed seeing the pics others have shared. I love what you said about sensing or seeing God’s presence and other times not so much. I’d not thought of that application, but somehow the northern lights were that way for me. Even though I couldn’t see them, I was comforted at knowing they were there.
I love that thought – ‘Perhaps we cannot flee, or run away from God because He is hurrying towards us.’ Thank you. #16
I missed them too because I didn’t even know about it until after the fact, when I saw all the beautiful pictures on FB.