There is a tree in my front yard that is absolutely beautiful. It flowers in the spring. Has lots of full green leaves in the summer. In the fall it turns color and begins to change into the stark stoic tree of winter. Around dusk, when the light turns just the right shade, when the wind is blowing at just the right speed and the sun is at just the right height in the sky, it looks like it’s on fire.
The first time it happened I actually went out to examine the tree. I knew it wasn’t on fire but it looked so strange and otherworldly. It was quite the effect. It’s happened a few times since and I enjoy the beauty that happens during that exact mix of time, light and sun. It’s quite a sight to behold.
When it happens I wonder how Moses felt when God made huge public displays of his presence. My little light trick pales in comparison to the living, breathing God stepping into your presence by lighting a bush on fire or appearing as a swirling cloud. Would Moses and the Israelites have taken these signs for granted? Did they just get used to God’s big, bold appearances?
I wonder why those things don’t happen now. Do they happen and we just don’t see them? There are so many times I look back on a situation and realize how present God was with me but I missed it at the time.
Do you think God gets missed in the every day? Would we even notice a burning bush these days?
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if God dropped by…
