Jesus At 31,000 Feet

I just returned from a trip to South Florida to visit old friends (hence the long blog silence).

On the way home, I was reading a delightful book about Jesus  by John Eldredge called Beautiful Outlaw. Eldredge offers a fresh look at Jesus, free of stereotypes and religious straight jackets.

At one point he writes, “If we will get rid of the limits and the religious constraints,we will see Him everywhere..we should expect to encounter Jesus anytime, anywhere, everywhere…Jesus is infinitely creative. Just let Him be Himself with you.”

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that at the very moment I read those words, I heard another passenger say, “Look out the window!”

I turned my head and looked into the night sky…and there I was greeted with the most amazing sight!

Below the plane, lightning was  illuminating the night sky with incredible bursts of blinding white. Occasionally,  huge  lightning bolts shot from the clouds in a dazzling display of power.

This went on for half an hour. I was completely transfixed.

This verse kept running through my mind: “The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad, let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord. The heavens proclaim His righteousness and all peoples see His glory.” (Psalm 97: 1-6).

As I watched His display with the wonder of a child on Christmas morning, I felt His smile.  Jesus and I were sharing a moment 31,000 feet up in the air.

I wondered if anyone else on the plane realized that  this was their Creator revealing Himself to them in an absolutely spectacular way.

He truly IS everywhere…if you have eyes to see.

¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ^{18  (Col. 1: 15-18).}