“There is something beautiful about a billion stars held steady by a God who knows what He is doing. They hang there, the stars, like notes on a page of music, free-form verse, silent mysteries swirling in the blue like jazz. And as I lay there, it occurred to me that God is up there somewhere. Of course, I had always known He was, but this time I felt it, I realized it, the way a person realizes they are hungry or thirsty. The knowledge of God seeped out of my brain and into my heart. I imagined Him looking down on this earth, half angry because His beloved mankind had cheated on Him, had committed adultery, and yet hopelessly in love with her, drunk with love for her.” –Donald Miller- “Blue Like Jazz”‘
I have read this passage more times than I can count. As a lover of words, this passage evokes a beautiful picture in my mind. I love that excerpt, I always have. I like reading things that allow me to visualize things in my head. I think that excerpt does just that. I also love looking up at the stars. To think that God took the time to paint the night sky for us all to enjoy is a little mind-blowing.
There are a lot of moments like that. A lot of moments in life that blow my mind. They remind me. They keep me calm, level-headed, and ok.
Everything fits. Everything has a place, even when we don’t see it. I think of it like a night sky, jumbled, messy, yet completely in order. I may not always see the order, but it is there. Chaotically ordered. I like that.
We don’t always feel loved, but we are. We don’t always see the love, but it is there nonetheless. Love should be unconditional and we as humans do not always have the ability to be that way, but with God and His example we can do a better job of showing that type of love.
I love the last line of the excerpt; the visualization that comes to mind is so powerful, but I cannot express it any better than the author already has. if I could paint a picture, I would.
Just like the jazz music, let God’s love flood you. Fill you. Overwhelm you. Wear you down. Build you up.
