2014 Lenten Devotional

March 27, 2014

“Seeing God at Safeway” by Rev. Katie Russell

I’ve seen some amazing sunrises and sunsets.  The ones that I remember the most are buried in memories of exotic places and grand vacations:  The sunset seen from a restaurant patio in Lima, Peru poured shades of pink across the Pacific Ocean.  From the top of a bluff in Matanzas, Cuba, the sunrise over the Caribbean bay illuminated a fisherman who had already begun his workday.  The last fingers of sunlight reached out to the oil rigs as the sun set along the Gulf Coast of Alabama.

In these moments, I find myself praising God—for the beauty of the earth, for allowing me to be a part of creation, for the promise of the new day or the memories that I will put to bed with the sun.

It seems easier to do this on vacation.  In my every day life, I seldom take time to notice the coming and going of the day.  It requires too much time to stop and reflect—I have work to do, places to be, or an extra hour of sleep to catch.

Yet it’s strange how often God seems to crash into my life when I get too absorbed in it.  One day after leaving the office, I ran to the 7 Corners Safeway; I was in a hurry to get home but I needed to pick up a carton of milk.  As I scurried out of the automatic door, simultaneously shoving the receipt in my pocket and fishing the car keys from my purse, I was boldly confronted with the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen.  It looked like someone had accidentally kicked over cans of pink and orange paints and they were spilling across the sky.

It was so gorgeous that it stopped me in my tracks.  I set my carton of milk on the sidewalk and watched.  I scanned the parking lot and saw other people getting out of their cars and coming out of the stores just to see this spectacular sight.  It was like the whole world held its breath and waited, knowing that it would be over in just a few minutes; we wanted to drink it up for as long as we could.

I think of that day as the day God confronted me in the Safeway parking lot, compelling me to stop and see that God creates the world new each and every day (not just when I’m on vacation).

I hope this Lenten season we will each be able to stop, breathe, and give thanks for God’s work in our lives and in our world.

“And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’”

(Revelation 21:5)