I used to have dreams about the past. I was haunted by them at times because they were often about people that had died, a friend that was dear to me, a grandpa that I sorely missed. Many dreams were made up of an attempt on my part to alter my own regrets with that person or relationship, and I would wake, in the stillness of the night wishing for time to unwind itself. Yet I’ve been bound by time, as are we all, and it grips around me weather by the length of my shadow on the ground, the ticking of the second hand, or by the continual progression of numbers on the alarm clock that light their way on into eternity. It is silent in its passing, but we each feel the weight of it.

With time comes the sorrow of death, but also the twinkle of life. Such contrast calls our minds to screech at it’s uncertainty. This morning, I listened to a podcast on the drive down Gentile street from Micah’s preschool. It led me to think of the grandeur of the Sistine Chapel, painted in the latter years of Michelangelo’s life while he was teetering at the heights of the ceiling with oil paint dripping into his eyes. We often see images of the Sistine Chapel, like the Creation of Adam which is most popular. It is beautiful to behold, but, unless you have been there, you aren’t seeing the whole picture. I hope to darken through the doors and behold the splendor of Michelangelo’s masterpiece looming over me. Until then I am limited to images on the internet. If you zoom in on any image, it will become a pixel-ated mess of dark squares and lighter squares. Yet, when you are able to take a leap back, an image comes into view. I think for us life is that way because we are bound by time. Our limited perspective leads us to see things in a way that often neglects the larger picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what is that larger picture? God. God is outside of time. He is present in our past and He is already in our tomorrow. He orchestrates every single atom into the workings of the greatest masterpiece of all. This whole world that we experience will end up bringing glory to God, the Christ, the Word in flesh, whom created all things. When all we see is a dark pixel, God has positioned a white pixel beside it to bring forth the magnitude of His glory. The contrast is what makes the image come into focus and without it, there would be no masterpiece. So we trust that God in all his holiness, will work the darkness in our seemingly insignificant lives into the glory of His masterpiece. Until then, when are able to stand with Him in eternity unbound by the shackles of time, we can stand in awe of the God who binds our lives together for His glory.