Heart-Stopping Moments

"When my heart whispered, "Seek God," my whole being replied, "I'm seeking him!" Psalm 27:8 The Message Bible

Yesterday was one of those warm autumn evenings where there wasn't a breath of wind. Everywhere was silent as the sea was calm and the seagulls were elsewhere. As the sun set, the colour of the sky was graded from a pale coeruleum blue to soft salmon pink to deep alizarin crimson.

It felt as if I was looking at the Glory of God and reminded me of similar heart-stopping moments, that seemed as if they were made just for me:

Like one still dark summer's evening, when a man up the hill stood on his balcony and sang an operatic chorus. His deep Welsh voice resonated on and on down our narrow valley. Residents were enthralled and came out to hear. When he finished there was applause all round and I was goose-pimply and touched deep inside.

We visited a country estate nearby at magnolia time. It was like a winter wonderland with the magnificent leafless magnolia trees bearing their white, pale pink and cream blooms. The grass was covered with petals like giant fluffy curled snowflakes. It was such an amazing spectacle that the visitors were captivated and tiptoed around, talking in whispers as if in a cathedral.

When walking along a narrow mountain ridge in the Austrian Alps, I was delighted by the gentians pushing through the lingering snow. On the opposite side of the valley, the snow-covered peaks were reaching into the clear sky. The air was crisp and sparkling like champagne. It was like being on the roof of the world, gently ascending a pathway to heaven. It was exciting and beautiful to the extreme. All too soon, it was time to turn back and I cried.

These are just a few of my heart-stopping moments. Yours may be different, but I really believe that at such times we are in touch with a deep inner longing. A longing that is reaching out to God, because he put it there. It seems that such moments demand a response.

"Lord, I'm coming!"