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 Just a Glimpse
by Tom Norvell
Driving around the city during as the trees display their fall colors, I occasionally find myself wanting to pause and gaze at the brilliant colors. I would like to stop my car in the middle of the road for just a moment to enjoy the leaves as they gently float to the ground. Something inside me reminds me that if I don’t stop now, they will be gone tomorrow. Leaves do not last long in the rain and wind. I feel a sense of urgency about stopping, but I do not. Schedules, people traveling behind me, police officers do not allow it. So, I settle for just a glimpse of God’s beauty. A similar feeling comes over me when I look at my children. They change so quickly. They grow so fast. In what seems like only a moment they go from being a little boy who wants to play ball, to a grown man wanting get on with his life. In a blink of an eye she moved from a curly haired little girl from her swing saying, “Push me, Daddy!“ to a developing young lady saying, “Don’t push me, Dad. I’ll be all right.” There are times I’d like to slow things down and enjoy the view for a little longer, but life moves on and I must settle for just a glimpse as they pass through my view. There are times when I feel so close to God that I would like to stop the clock and stay in that setting. The sense of peace and the power of His presence is so comforting. I cannot imagine anything any better. But, that time ends. The retreat ends. The walk is over. The assembly disperses. Life interrupts. The peace is replaced with commotion. The tranquility is pushed aside by chaos. So, I settle for just a glimpse of what Heaven will be like. There are times when I feel like I have finally figured out what this God-pleasing life is all about. I am thinking the right things, I am doing the right things, I am becoming the right kind of person. I begin to think that I am actually beginning to allow others to see Jesus living in me. Then, I blow it. I go back to my old ways, my old systems, my old devices. It was nice while it lasted, but I settle for just a glimpse of what it is means to live like Jesus.
As this week of Thanksgiving winds down, as you finish your time with family and friends, take time to enjoy it completely. Don’t hurry through this holiday. Don’t settle for just a glimpse of what it could be. Take time. Linger a little longer. Drink deeply. Be thankful. Enjoy. The next time you notice a beautiful tree by the side of the road with the leaves swirling in the wind, check to make sure no one is behind you, then pull off the side of the road and watch the leaves fall. Don’t settle for just a glimpse... Enjoy the holiday, and the holy life, and let God bless you with all that he longs to share.
Title: "Just a Glimpse" Author: Tom Norvell Publication Date: November 13, 2002 |
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Tom Norvell is the author of "A Norvell Note." He ministers at the East Brainerd Church of Christ in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
