God is a masterful artist.
As I left my health club the other day and walked through the parking lot to my car, for some reason unbeknownst to me, I looked up toward the heavens.
And there it was.
I was staring at a breathtaking sunset sky, complete with bright orange, light pink and blue swirls. It was so striking that it literally stopped me in my tracks. I stood still, staring in wonderment.
After sky gazing for what was probably a minute, I became self-conscious and looked around to see if others were watching this guy just standing in the middle of a parking lot staring into the sky. I thought for a quick second that maybe I would see others standing and staring as well. What I saw were people walking with their heads down, most talking on the phone or texting. I wanted to yell at the top of my lungs, “Hello….do you see what God is doing for us?”
I couldn’t help thinking this scenario was a perfect commentary on our busy lives. Even when God shows himself to us so gloriously, we often overlook him because we are consumed by the frenetic pace of our lives and the constant connectivity to the Internet, Twitter and texting. Our souls need time to connect with God every day. He invites us into relationship and conversation in many ways, including by lighting up the sky with a breathtaking sunset. God certainly got my attention with that amazing display of colors and put my thought, worries and cares of the day into perspective.
As Catholics, we believe God created the universe and everything in it. God gave us the intellect to create all the technology and creature comforts we have in our lives, to be used for his glory. But we should all take time each day to stop, disconnect from our handheld devices and look to the heavens. The God who loves us desires to be a part of our daily thoughts and conversations.
I went home and told my family about the sunset. They had seen it, too. We talked at the dinner table about the awesomeness of our God and how he shows his love for us.
So, make sure to take a few moments each day to look to the heavens. Have a conversation with God. There may not be a glorious sunset, but God is there nevertheless, waiting for you to notice him and say hello.