Feeling Small
As I gazed in awe out the window of an airplane on a recent flight, a number of things went through my mind and I felt small. From the height of the plane the world looks so different:
The sun seems closer.
The clouds are more ornate.
The earth is more intricate.
People vanish from view.
Have you ever wondered what the view looked liked when there was nothing? Imagine how it was when God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit gathered and decided from nothing to make everything we have today?
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2
What was total darkness like? What feeling came over Them as the sunlight warmed the universe?
The flight continued, night fell and the sky gradually went dark. As it did so, the lights from below slowly became visible. They glowed, twinkled and struggled to light the night sky.
I thought about how it may have been for the Creators as They continued with forming the world. I imagined the joy and excitement that must have filled each of Them as one after another new aspect of the universe was added until They concluded with the grand finale – mankind.
“So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27
And as I admired creation from 15,000 feet above, I felt small.
Once God was finished, He added a blessing and concluded it was not just good, but very good.
“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31
There are times in my life I struggle with being overwhelmed by the greatness of God’s creation, longing to know where I am to fit in. At times there is an uneasiness that seeps into my stomach. I anxiously wonder what I am missing. Is there something I am to be doing or knowing that has eluded me?
I wonder what will happen when I can’t figure it out.
And I feel small.
It is times like this that I have to go back to the basics. Back to the heart of God and remind myself of His plan and intentions from the beginning:
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Even when I feel small, I am loved. And it’s not just any love, but an unending love:
“Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:26
And even more than this, I am assured I will never be overlooked or separated from this love:
“Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39
When I feel small, I know that God’s love is big and unending. I am assured that I am loved and I am not small in His eyes and His heart.
JW