"Special Effects"
 

The picture perfect sunset,
The rolling prairie sod,
The gift of love, the baby child
All signed by the Hand of God"

by
Pamela R. Blaine
 

Barney & Julie
December 21, 1991
"To have and to hold from this day forward"
( Special sunset effects... by God)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My son-in-law, Barney has always had a great interest in film making.
Once when our family went to see a movie with Barney,
as the movie ended, I began to get my coat and get ready to leave.
I noticed that Barney was still sitting in his seat,
not making a move to leave but still sitting
transfixed before the movie screen, watching the credits roll.
I asked, "Are you ready to go?" Barney said,
"Not yet, I want to see who did the special effects."

I wonder, how many times do I get caught up
in the *special effects* of the thunder and lightning around me
instead of asking myself as Barney did,
"Who did the special effects.....Who caused it all to happen?"

One of my favorite poems is by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

"Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees takes off his shoes,
The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries."

God used a bush to get the attention of Moses in  Exodus, chapter 3.
Moses looked at the bush and saw that it was on fire,
yet it was not consumed by the fire. Moses said,
"I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight,
why the bush is not burned up." Moses was paying attention
and said, "I must see."
He was looking for the cause of this "special effect".
When he looked for the cause, it was then that God spoke to him,
telling him to remove his sandals,
"For the place you are standing is holy ground."
God identified Himself to Moses then and said,
"I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."

The question is, will we look only at the "special effects" or will
we look to Him, the Creator of the special effects.
Will we enter in, take off our shoes, and stand on holy ground
or will we choose to sit around it plucking blackberries.

I believe, like Moses, God wants us to "turn aside now and see"....
to look for Him and not just look for another "special effect"
to sit around while we obliviously nibble our popcorn.

The next time you see "special effects",
remember to look for the Creator.

By Pamela R. Blaine
c February 14, 2000

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes,
His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen,
being understood through what has been made
  so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20
 
 

Song playing is...

"The Way"
 

Do not let your heart be troubled
Trust in God, Trust also in Me.
In My Father's House are many mansions
Made for thee.

(chorus)  I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life
No man comes unto the Father but by Me.

And if I go and prepare a place for you
I will come back
And take you to be with Me
Where I am

(Chorus)

by Pamela R. Blaine
c October 10, 1998