All It Took Was A Step Outside.

I was driving home after a long, busy day that turned into a busy night.
The sun had set a while back, it was calm. Cloudless. Skies as clear as I had seen in a long time.
I was talking to God about anything running through my brain, anything that was weighing on me that day. Honestly, I don't remember. But, I do remember that the sky was beautiful. I could see so many stars, and I was staring up at the sky too long to be considered driving wisely, so I pulled over. Headlights off. Nobody there. I just sat there, me, my little car and Jesus, and we talked.

Something in me told me to step outside. I opened my door, and just sat for a while longer, but I still felt like I was supposed to actually step outside. I felt like God wanted me to step outside. So, eventually I did. As soon as both feet were touching the ground, I saw a shooting star in that splatter-painted sky. Like, literally, as soon as my right foot stepped out of my car and onto the asphalt, the shooting star blazed by.

The thing to say about this is that God uses moments like these to teach me a lot about Him, about me, about life. And in that moment, the moment that I finally got out and did what He asked of me, stepping outside with both feet planted onto solid ground, something marvelous happened.

Maybe we forget that God could have made the world incredibly boring. Maybe we don't realize that the stars, the ocean, the trees, flowers, color, sight, sound,.. None of it needed to exist. But He created it all anyways, just for us. He knew we'd love smelling the roses. Music. Dancing. Swimming. Climbing. Surfing. Stargazing. And I think these things can give us glimpses of His character.

So with this, with my two awkward feet on the road and my tired body leaning up against the dusty car, God showed me how easily I can be swayed to take life as a bystander. I sit in my car so often and think that the view is fine, reluctant to get out of the comfy seat with the comfy A/C and the good music playing out my stereo, but then He asks me to pull over, turn the car off, open my door and engage, let myself be swallowed up in the majesty of the universe, all because He wants to show Me how great He is again, and He wants to tell me He loves me again. I forget how great He is so easily, in big moments and little ones, because I settle for the "good enough" view when He wants to give me the best one.

Maybe this post makes sense and maybe it doesn't. But as for that night, I'm glad God didn't stop asking me to get out of the car. He wants to bless us in the little ways and in the big ones; did you know that? Maybe it's not the miracles we label as miracles, but maybe it's in moments like this one, where He makes Himself known by actually talking to us and reminds us of the beautiful world He made, all for us.

That night, I was reminded of how small I am, and how big my Father is, how much He loves me, and how good His plans are, and all it took was a step outside.

I like flowers and I like taking pictures of them. I like this flower because I think the way flowers age is mighty beautiful. And this one, this one stood out to me. Honestly, I think this flower is a lot more tangible with its petals curled, with the edges brown, there's life that's been lived.

Maybe there's something to learn from the flowers, maybe there's beauty in the life that we live and in showing our frayed edges like our hearts on our sleeves. 

I don't think that we're made to be fake flowers. I don't think our destiny is immutability.

I think there's beauty in the way our petals curl and blessings sprouting from letting the mess show.