By Jeannie Wronski
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. Matthew 5:16
Lately I have been thinking a lot about heaven. There is a song by Chris Rice called “Deep Enough to Dream” which keeps playing in my mind’s playlist. The premise is drifting off to sleep and dreaming of being in heaven. There is a line that says, “Deep enough to dream in brilliant colors I have never seen” which captures my imagination and I find myself thinking of the stained-glass windows I have photographed over the years. I am captivated by stained-glass windows. I remember when I first felt the spark of spiritual awareness to their beauty and messaging. I was at a silent retreat and had slipped into the chapel for reflection. As I entered through the foyer I glanced to my right and was taken with the beautiful colors of a stained- glass window. As I looked closer, I saw a deer near a stream and tucked in the lower left-hand corner was a squirrel holding an acorn. What? Who would have thought that a squirrel and acorn would be on stained-glass window, let alone the first thing that I should encounter on my spiritual retreat? As acorns have been a symbol that God has used over the years for me, I was truly touched and let out an audible sound of amazement. It was in that same chapel that I noticed how the colors of cobalt blue and ruby reds were something beyond that which could be captured by a paintbox. These colors were illuminated by light shining through them. The morning sun sent rays of color through the glass as it stretched beyond its borders. This captivated me. I stared in wonder for some time just soaking in the beauty of it all. Across the way, I noticed on the other side of the chapel something dark, gray, undistinguishable. I wondered what was really there. But it was time to return to our group.
A few months later I returned to this place on another silent retreat. I had been wondering what was on the other side of the chapel. It was a question that for some reason had surfaced off and on my mind. So, as I entered the chapel this time I walked up to the darkened wall, only to discover that it, too, had stained-glass windows. But no light shone through them. It was difficult to even make out their subject matter. Perplexed and on a quest to discover why, I noticed someone arranging flowers for the next day’s morning service. Breaking my silence for discovery, I asked about the windows. “Oh,” she said, “those windows were moved from somewhere else when the church was rebuilt. The only way to see them is when the choir room light is turned on behind them.” This struck me. They could not be seen, or even discerned, unless some light source was turned on. How like us. We need the light of God’s Spirit to illuminate us, for His brilliant colors to come shining through.
And one day, we will stand in awe in the heavenly realm surrounded by glorious colors of cobalt blue, ruby red, emerald- green, and others beyondimagination. Lately I am more mindful of what truly awaits us beyond this world. Jesus Himself, the source of all light will be there to welcome us in this place of “brilliant colors I have never seen.”
For Pondering
Do you feel you are like stained glass that God’s light shines through? Or are you feeling the need for the light source to be turned on? Reflect on this, asking God to illuminate.
Have you been surprised by something that seems only God could know? Ask Him to open your eyes for signs of His personal love for you.
Take time to notice the brilliance of colors around you. Ponder anew theglorious place that awaits you, filled with the light of His presence.
Prayer
Dear God,
You are the Light of the world. You have illuminated this world, indeed all of nature and the heavens above, with brilliant colors that leave us with a sense of wonder. We are mindful that our days here are a preparation for days to come with glorious colors and scenes that we can hardly imagine. Fill our hearts anew with the real sense of this truth. It is for this you touched down on earth. Touch our hearts, that we may seek to know you above all else. Illuminate the path before us as we seek to do your will in our lives. Let the brilliant light of your love shine through us.
Amen.