X is for Xanadu by Carol Harrison

 

Xanadu means a place of great beauty. From frost covered trees to dancing northern lights; from rugged mountain peaks to tiny flowering plants, there is beauty and grandeur all around us. We inhale the various fragrances, see the majesty of God’s creation, and hear the bird song on a quiet evening. God, our Creator, created Xanadu when He created the world.

I thought of the words to the hymn, For the Beauty of the Earth, written in 1863 by Folliet Pierpoint. The first verse says:

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

The chorus says:

Christ, the Lord, to you we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

Every season has a loveliness of its own. In the heat of summer the flowers bloom and fields grow and mature. In the frigid months of winter, hoarfrost paints the trees in sparkling covers. In the dark of night stars twinkle and aurora dance. We just need to look to find the beauty and then raise to God our grateful praise.

When I write, I find it difficult to capture the immense beauty and variety in words that my eye sees. Yet this is a challenge for all of us as writers. We need to use our words wisely to describe these scenes of great beauty. It is like my words are inadequate to describe the Xanadu of God’s creation around me.

Yet I take note of how the psalmist praises God in every situation. In Psalm 19:1 we read, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” In Psalm 24:1-2 we read, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”

I love to see the mountains rugged grandeur or sit beside a tree surrounded lake listening to the call of the loon. What is your favourite time of year and place to enjoy creation?

 

Carol Harrison writes a variety of things from her home in Saskatoon but often misses being able to sit by a lake and soak in the natural beauty away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

R is for Reflect by Lorilee Guenter

 

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Psalm 19:1

This spring the northern lights were so bright they could be seen in the southern United States. At the same time, the southern lights lit up most of the southern hemisphere. The lights danced in various colours from green to red and purple. People all over the world looked to the sky in wonder. As mesmerising as this was, it is only a hint of God’s glory. A reflection can’t catch the whole, but it can make us look up.

On a still night the various ponds and lakes in our area reflect the sky. Sunsets appear to cross the horizon, illuminating the water with various shades of orange, pink, and red. The water joins the sky in declaring the glory of God. A breeze sends ripples across the reflection breaking the colour but not obliterating it.

Wind and rain mar the reflection. However, the source, the sky, remains. Even when storms obscure the light, the source remains. With a word, the wind is stilled, the clouds part and the reflection shows what was always there. The stars shine no matter how many clouds fill the space between us and them. The heavens continue their chorus. They reflect the glory of their Creator, of our Creator.

As I write, I wrestle with questions big and small. My words and the characters I create reflect the questions I have. Through my reflection, I have the opportunity to encourage thought, and to encourage conversation. Through my writing in whatever genre I use that day, I hope to reflect God’s glory. The surface of my life is marred and broken just as the wind and waves break the surface of the water. However, God never changes. He is calming the storms swirling around and inside me. He is refining my life allowing me to reflect more and more of His glory.

The heavens declare the glory of God. As creation reflects the Creator, we are invited to join in the chorus.