Glimpses of Glory

I love to go to the beach. The ocean is quite possibly my favorite place. I got to go last weekend and although I didn't get to completely immerse myself in it's cleansing waters, I did get to watch the sunrise and let the peacefulness was over me. It's like the only place I can go to and escape every fear and insecurity. I sit there and realize the insignificance of myself in comparison to the vast and expansive mass of water in front of me. I lose the thoughts that the world is all about me and that my problems are the end of the world. I gain perspective. God takes me into this intimate, holy moment with Him where He shows me my smallness in comparison to His bigness. Then He reminds me that despite how small, reckless, irresponsible, clumsy, messy, and emotionally unstable I can be that I am deeply treasured and loved by Him. I am loved by HIM.

I have been obsessed with my problems, my issues, and my victories. When I fail, I don't want to get up because I can't face the fact that I failed. When it gets overbearingly and overwhelmingly annoying to be living with my parents but also trying to grow up, I feel like the world is collapsing and hiding me in it's folds. (Don't get me wrong, I love my parents... but it's hard sometimes) When I can no longer bear to be a part from the one human on this earth who understands me, I shut down and think that everyone should cater to me. How arrogant and selfish can I get?

When I looked out into the ocean, the beautiful waters that God created, I was so peacefully convicted. It was a quiet assurance that life was not about me and instead of being offended, I felt unbelievingly relieved. Oh, how I want to feel that way every day for the rest of my life. Feel my insignificance in who I am, but understanding my significance in Whose I am.

I asked God to see a glimpse of His glory so that I would never forget that feeling and that it would push me toward my goal of staying in this perspective. I looked over and a transparent, yet blotchy seashell caught my attention. I held the seeing glass toward the sunrise and realized that although I could catch a glimpse of it's beauty, until the shell was removed, I would never fully see the beautiful sight.

"Kimberly," I felt God calling, "Even the glimpses of my glory are breathtaking, just like the sunrise through the blemished seashell. Until this world dies and your blemishes are forever removed, you will only see a glimpse of me. But look at the sunrise without the shell and notice how much better it is. That's what you have to look forward to. Wait for the fullness of my glory and don't just settle for the glimpses."


Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

(Lamentations 3:21-26