31 Oct 2024, 11:31Catherine Anthony Boldeau, BUC Stewardship Director
I Can Only Imagine.
I grew up scared of God – really scared of Him. I remember, as a 5-year-old, the terror I felt when I was told that if I was naughty, I wouldn't go to heaven. Of course, I was never naughty, but I was often good for the wrong reasons.
I can't pretend that as a pre-schooler, I knew what heaven was all about, but I understood the concept of rewards and consequences, so I knew that heaven must be a good place and that if I didn't behave well, I would be destined for 'some other place'.
This early experience dictated my behaviour about God. Not only was I scared, but uptight and a people-pleaser.
That all changed when I rediscovered that God is creative, just like me. He's the ultimate Creator. This realisation shifted my perspective. Instead of a stern judge, I saw a loving and imaginative God, who takes joy in His creation.
I imagine God having enormous fun creating the world. Thinking about colours, should trees be red? What about purple grass? Pink sky? Yellow sea? Using powder paint to wash the world with a variety of hues. The soft sunsets edged in lilac and gold. The dewy mornings were tinged with icy blue and silver-white.
Imagine Him sitting down with Gabriel and commissioning him to compose the Creation anthem for the morning stars to sing. Harps, violas and stringed instruments echoed through the halls of heaven, practising for the grand unveiling.
He sits with the Father, and they draw tulips, roses, magnolias and daisies, playing with shapes and dimensions. Soft petals on long stems, orchids preferring wet conditions.
He consults on the perfumes of the flowers and fragrances of fruit; He reflects on space setting and place.
Imagine the Father, Son and Holy Spirit discussing light, sound, air, and liquid and arranging and re-arranging the basics in their planning so everything would be perfect for all living creatures, including us humans.
God, as Creator, is a God I understand. One who I can identify with. One who gets enormous pleasure out of His creation.
I am one of God's unique creations. No one in the world is exactly like me, and unique creations are always special to their creators. I am special to God, just as you are special to Him because of your uniqueness.
Today, reflect on a God who took the time to plan you, create you, and redeem you. You, like me, will have a much clearer picture of God.
Watch "The Creation: The Earth is a Witness," a day-by-day account of the biblical creation week, beginning with darkness before God created light and ending with Moses, the author of the Genesis account of creation, and his son, worshipping God on the seventh-day Sabbath. Seventh-day Adventist filmmaker Henry Stober spent four years filming the movie around the world. https://youtu.be/4j2C25jIZF4
I grew up scared of God – really scared of Him. I remember, as a 5-year-old, the terror I felt when I was told that if I was naughty, I wouldn't go to heaven. Of course, I was never naughty, but I was often good for the wrong reasons.
I can't pretend that as a pre-schooler, I knew what heaven was all about, but I understood the concept of rewards and consequences, so I knew that heaven must be a good place and that if I didn't behave well, I would be destined for 'some other place'.
This early experience dictated my behaviour about God. Not only was I scared, but uptight and a people-pleaser.
That all changed when I rediscovered that God is creative, just like me. He's the ultimate Creator. This realisation shifted my perspective. Instead of a stern judge, I saw a loving and imaginative God, who takes joy in His creation.
I imagine God having enormous fun creating the world. Thinking about colours, should trees be red? What about purple grass? Pink sky? Yellow sea? Using powder paint to wash the world with a variety of hues. The soft sunsets edged in lilac and gold. The dewy mornings were tinged with icy blue and silver-white.
Imagine Him sitting down with Gabriel and commissioning him to compose the Creation anthem for the morning stars to sing. Harps, violas and stringed instruments echoed through the halls of heaven, practising for the grand unveiling.
He sits with the Father, and they draw tulips, roses, magnolias and daisies, playing with shapes and dimensions. Soft petals on long stems, orchids preferring wet conditions.
He consults on the perfumes of the flowers and fragrances of fruit; He reflects on space setting and place.
Imagine the Father, Son and Holy Spirit discussing light, sound, air, and liquid and arranging and re-arranging the basics in their planning so everything would be perfect for all living creatures, including us humans.
God, as Creator, is a God I understand. One who I can identify with. One who gets enormous pleasure out of His creation.
I am one of God's unique creations. No one in the world is exactly like me, and unique creations are always special to their creators. I am special to God, just as you are special to Him because of your uniqueness.
Today, reflect on a God who took the time to plan you, create you, and redeem you. You, like me, will have a much clearer picture of God.
Watch "The Creation: The Earth is a Witness," a day-by-day account of the biblical creation week, beginning with darkness before God created light and ending with Moses, the author of the Genesis account of creation, and his son, worshipping God on the seventh-day Sabbath. Seventh-day Adventist filmmaker Henry Stober spent four years filming the movie around the world. https://youtu.be/4j2C25jIZF4
