People are always speculating about whether or not there is life on other planets besides earth; extra terrestrials. I've heard many times someone use the argument that it's pretty arrogant to think human beings are the only beings in the universe. They propose this mode of thinking is pompous and superior. Personally, I've thought about that a lot over the years... Arrogant? Pompous and superior? No. I think the reality of that is it's simply an indication of how much God loves us. How much He has given us and how much He wants us to recognize Him. And I feel sad for those who can't see that.
At the same time, I have to admit I've been hard-headed and unable to see the forest through the trees many times, myself. I've looked at something plain and obvious and completely missed the message God was trying to give me at that moment.
For example, when I was a single professional and reached the end of the work week, I would get excited as I drove home on a warm Friday evening with the hopes of getting a call to go out, but inevitably, spent the evening alone sipping a glass of wine and watching the sunset on my veranda by myself.
I would have a beautiful, sunny Saturday all to myself with endless options for things to do, but no one to do them with. It was times like these where I almost felt as if God had wasted His creation on me... there was no one to share it with. Why would he give me such an incredibly beautiful day when I couldn't share it with anyone?
And it was precisely in what I thought was wrong with the scenario, that God was trying to alert me to something totally different...
He gave me those blessings of nature because loves ME. Because it was for ME. If I believed that He died for me, how could I not recognize this incredible display of His passionate love for me in the beauty of the world that was all around me? I missed His message entirely! Would it be fantastic to share it with someone I was in love with? Absolutely! But it wasn't my time yet. And in the meantime, God was endowing me with blessings he had created specifically for me.
In a beautiful and poignant article from June 11, 2013, entitled The Evidential Power Of Beauty, Archbishop Chaput wrote an important message that reinforces this point:
Creation is more than an accident of dead matter. It's a romance. It has purpose. It sings of the Living God. It bears his signature.
God lives in the summer rain, the stars in the night sky, the wind in the leaves of the trees. He speaks to us through a creation alive with his love. We need to be silent, and watch and listen. And then we need to join in nature's symphony of praise.
I've always tried to impress this point on my children as they grow up so they won't miss this important message like I did for so long. When they see how beautiful a sunset is or enjoy a perfect day at the beach, when they marvel at the force of nature in a thunderstorm or even when they see a family of rabbits hopping through our backyard, I remind them that God created this to make them happy and they should thank God for it. I hope and pray this sticks with them so when they're grown and I'm not around to remind them anymore, they will remember and appreciate it.
At a time when so many people are alone, whether it be due to not finding the right one yet, death or divorce, this is a message we need to hear and pay attention to, because God is truly calling us all to Him. And for you as a single person, He's using this valuable time while you are not wrapped up in someone else to speak to you, to show you His great love for you, and hopefully for you to fall in love with Him.
I look forward to receiving your comments and questions at [email protected].
