The Beauty of the Earth

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” ~ Isaiah 6:3

I found myself seated on the front porch of our suburban home two evenings ago at sunset.  It had just rained and the air seemed to be cooling from the sticky, humid , high-nineties afternoon.  I was enjoying the wet, summer ozone scent and the calm in the neighborhood.  I could hear the voices of a couple in quiet after-work conversation three doors down.  One neighbor’s airconditioner was droning in the distance.  An occasional car would pass by with a quiet, splashy sound.  The plants were soaked, the dirt was dark, and the grass was greener than it had been at noon. 

I looked up into the gray-purple sky in the south and saw cottony wisps of rainbow sherbet clouds reflecting the orangy-pink light of sunset.  The pines across the street were lit golden and shimmering with raindrops.  I followed the largest pine to its top, pointing skyward.  Seeming to emerge from the point of the pine was a giant, vibrant rainbow stretching north to south over my neighborhood.  I could separate the colors out into the ROY G BIV code of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.  The rainbow was so vibrant that even the violet was clearly visible.  Chimney swifts chittered and chased under the grand arch as I marvelled at its size.  I sat on my porch, barefoot, smacking my feet on the wet pavement and smiling at the sky.

I began to notice the faint colors of a second rainbow above the first.  A double rainbow is a rare and beautiful treat.  I stayed still for a moment, drinking up the blessing as the rain began to gently fall again in the sunlight.  My family came out to see and then shuffled back into our home to watch a movie.  The shower was brief and the second bow disappeared almost as suddenly as it had come. 

I watched until the clearer rainbow seemed to retreat  into the top of the pine.  I found myself humming the hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth,” though I don’t remember singing it much in church.  I lay my head back against my chair and simply sat with the evening, offering up my thanks to God for such a glorious and unexpected display.

How do you see the glory of the LORD?  Can you see the glory of the Creator in Creation?  Where  and when do you see best?

God, I thank you that you show yourself to us in so many ways.  Thank you for this evening and for the opportunity to see you through the splendor of your creation.  Help me to be ever aware of my impact on your creation through my own actions.  ~Amen.