I wonder...

edited a bit

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures."


Henry Ward Beecher

I remember beginning to sense that creation seemed to be a form of incredibly creative expression and effective communication in much the same way that artwork is for most any real artist. As I looked more closely than perhaps I ever had before, it seemed I was finding "glimpses" of the nature of God inherent in nature. I began to see God's Works (... trees, water, light, the relationship between butterflies & flowers etc.) as illustrations of concepts in His Word (The Bible) and I was fascinated/amazed/inspired by how this understanding allowed so much to make so much more sense to me in much the same way that pictures/illustrations give depth to our understanding of stories and instruction manuals. And, well ...

...I wonder if I'm onto something here. Might God have imparted/implanted/communicated pieces/glimpses of each and every attribute/aspect of Himself somewhere/somehow into creation?! If true, that would mean that creation as a whole is one incredibly vast and creative expression of the the Creator, Himself - and that "clues" about Him are "hidden in plain sight" all around us. 

A feeble analogy of this concept I find difficult to wrap words around might be found in, of all things, a puzzle - and perhaps even moreso in this puzzle in particular:

Somehow I get the impression that when the artist conceived this magnificent mural he realized that those who would give it a glance would no doubt be treated to a feast for the eyes. But some would draw closer and linger to look closely enough to see each individual canvas panel for the unique work of art that it is and realize how, when combined with numerous others, each contributes a clue toward understanding the overall design inherent in "the big picture". For them, for those who would really appreciate his work, the artist would take great pleasure in rewarding them with a depth of understanding limited only by the amount of time they were willing to spend studying the details of his creation. 


And it occurred to me that this reminds me of Someone Else I Know:

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

² Day after day they pour forth speech; 

   night after night they reveal knowledge. 

³ They have no speech, they use no words; 

   no sound is heard from them. 

⁴ Yet their voice^[b] goes out into all the earth, 

   their words to the ends of the world. 

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 

 ⁵ It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, 

   like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 

⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens 

   and makes its circuit to the other; 

   nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Psalm 19:1-5

  

I'm no theologian and I don't claim to understand why I seem to see so clearly something that so many can't (refuse?) to see at all. That being that God is - and that He is good - and that He went to great lengths to reveal Himself to us because He want's us to enjoy (key word here)a personal relationship with Him. I'm just a simple someone who seems to see pretty much everything differently than pretty much everyone else seems to - and who would just really like to wrap words around why that is.  The only way I know how to even attempt to do it is by using both words and illustrations which, ironically, is exactly what I believe God did so good (yep that is the right word here) in the beginning - and, more recently, for me personally - in such a creative way. 

1 In the beginning was the Word,^(A) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.² He was with God in the beginning.^(D) 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.^(E) 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

^{John 1:1-5}

For a closer look at and better understanding of the big picture above click here:  http://www.muralmosaic.com/cpaws.html.   And for a closer look/better understanding of the Really BIG Picture, go for a walk in the woods - or stand at the edge of the ocean - or look up and into the night sky - or treat yourself to a boquet of flowers ... and study the details.

                                                                        

With all of creation telling the story,
Might I, with you, proclaim His glory.

excerpt from A Poem to a Sunflower

~By Katherine R. Lane (April 19, 1995)~