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The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Psalm 19:1 ESV

His handiwork.

One of my most precious memories is from fourteen years ago this week. I was on a sailboat in Fiji and I had a close encounter with God our Creator. It started simply enough with an invitation by my husband to watch the sunset together on deck. What happened next was anything but simple. Stepping onto the deck, I was immediately struck by sheer awe for the beautiful pinkish/orange sunset, reflecting on the still waters and peeking amongst the majestic mountains. Miraculous beauty in every direction, a panoramic sunset of the most magnificent colors you could ever imagine. It was as if I had stepped into heaven itself. And then suddenly I could not look for an instant more. I ran.

I ran to my cabin. Yanked out my iPod and turned it to “Facedown” by Matt Redman and worshipped with every fiber of my being. It was a moment that became seared in my brain and in my heart forever. It was an epic moment in my life of true worship of our God, the Creator.

Flash forward to this week and I am sorting through sailing pictures. As I flip through the photos I am instantly reminded of that moment of worship. A few minutes later I walk to the back of my house just in time to see a beautiful pink sunset. As I stood there gazing at the sunset, I realize for the first time that I have only lived in two homes in my life where I could look out and enjoy the beautiful sunsets.

The first was the home I moved into with my two daughters after the death of my first marriage and the second is the home I recently moved to after the death of my beloved husband. And suddenly my heart floods with gratitude for the God who makes himself known through His creation. How did I miss the sign? He never leaves us nor forsakes us. We are never alone.

His Presence.

The world sometimes suggests that we can find some sort of comfort if we look for “signs” of our loved ones’ presence still with us after death. It can be an object of some special significance or possibly a creature in nature. There is nothing in scripture that suggests that our loved ones will appear to us in any form after death or that they are trying to communicate with us in any way.

The “signs” of God’s presence are the only signs that will offer us sustaining comfort. Signs that remind us God is who He says He is. He is the Creator. A magnificent sunset can remind us that He is the creator of beauty and light. The Great Almighty is more than what we can possibly imagine or appreciate. That’s why I appreciated that worship experience so much. Through that sunset, I was reminded of how much bigger He is than I can even comprehend. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. That means He is always present. Nothing can happen to us that is beyond is His ability to care for us. Wow, the peace that comes from looking for the signs of His presence and remembering He is with us.

His Spirit will lead us.

This journey of grief can feel so lonely at times and it is easy to get trapped by our fears. Desperately looking for anything to comfort us, we can end up leaning on hollow images of hope. We just need to take a deep breath and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to His truth. God is with us. The signs are all around us. The heavens declare His glory. We are His creation and we are precious to Him. He loves us!

Dear heavenly Father, we thank You so much for who You are! Your Presence in our lives is a gift beyond compare! Help us to see the signs of Your Presence when we are lonely and let us declare Your goodness to the world. Amen.