A Cup of Grace – with a shot of espresso

I often am overwhelmed by the bigness of God as Creator and Designer.  I revel in the beauty and complexity of creation. The monarch butterfly that knows where and when to migrate is wonderous. The mockingbird who sings a vast array of tunes is delightful. The early morning sky painted in pomengranite pinks fading to golds is magnificent. Creation SINGS loudly of its Creator.  Look around, listen and learn who He is. See the vastness of the whole, and yet each part, no matter how small, fits and is significant. 

This Creator is precise and ordered. The evidence is in the preciseness and orderliness of the world around us. The pull of gravity is exactly what it needs to be for life to thrive. See the heavens? The moon’s placement and sun’s distance are specific to our needs. They are not randomly arrived at distances. Then, look down to see the petals of a flower. There is mathematical precision to each design of every kind of flower. 

This Creator is interested in relationships. Bees need pollen, flowers need bees. Clown fish feed on the parasites within and receive protection from anemones. Even within the human body, bacteria in the gut helps break down food…and so it goes.  We talk about “eco-systems” where small changes create imbalances. These are systems of relationships.  

This Creator is more powerful than we can imagine. Feel the undeniable force of the wind and waves. Cover your eyes and feel your hair stand on end in the presence of lightning. Let the rumble of a giant waterfall vibrate through your being. Nature is not something we can control – not really. Yet it answers to the One who made it. 

This Creator loves beauty for He splashes it in generous amounts. The rainbow serves no purpose, yet what a showstopper it is. The aurora borealis bring gasps of wonder, but the Creator even lavishes beauty where few will ever see it. Only recently have we been able to observe the depths of the oceans in their other-worldly magnificence. Galaxies beyond our natural vision glitter and swirl. 

Then, He made humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:27) We are multifaceted beings whose natures are physical, mental, and spiritual. Each of those natures are layered and intertwined in ways we struggle to understand. However, the fact that each affects the other is clear. A mood change may affect the appetite. Fear causes our hearts to race. Gratitude can affect our physical well-being and change our mood.

The sophistication of the body alone is mind boggling. We are each made up of thousands of elements working together in harmony. But He also gave us minds that think beyond ourselves, beyond instinct and survival. Even a basic overview of the networks involved in long term, short term and working memory is intricate. Inside the human head is a system as complex as the universe itself. And it is indeed a SYSTEM – a series of precise, connected parts that interact and respond to each other. These parts NEED each other to function correctly. They must all function properly together to be of any value. 

This Creator has a deep understanding of the created. He designed us with needs and then provided ways to meet those needs: hunger – food, thirst – water, movement – work,  rest – sleep, society – family, friends, and community. We need both novelty and predictability. We have that all around us from the seasons of the year to the cycle of life. 

We need to explore and learn, and He placed us in the perfect place to do that – this vastly complex and yet ordered world. The earth is ideally positioned in our galaxy to let us see beyond. Ponder the importance of order to our ability to learn. Our ability to make a hypothesis depends on order. 

We can thrive in the struggle to stretch and to learn. So He provides us complicated and complex things to do and learn. In this magnificent world, there is truly something for everybody, regardless of intelligence.  Our most intelligent minds, though they understand concepts beyond most of us, still cannot say “they know it all” or that “there are no more puzzles to solve.” We need to grow mentally, emotionally,and spiritually, and He gave us the space, creativity, curiosity and intelligence to do so!

Then, the Creator went beyond our basic needs and added blessings. He gave us eyes and ears and added the ability to appreciate beauty and sound. We are able not only to notice what is around us, but we can also take JOY in it! Consider. What if only function had been provided for? Why do delight and awe and joy exist? Attraction would have been enough for the species to continue. Yet we know what it is to love. In fact, we need love.

Perhaps this is the need we feel the most deeply, to be seen – truly seen – and loved anyway. We know our faults. The Creator provided for that need as well. He gave us Jesus. This Creator who designed the relationships of the universe created us for relationship with Him. We know that relationship is broken. Our own brokenness speaks to that. But He seeks to heal it. He reaches out to us in spite of us. He sees us – truly sees us – and offers us forgiveness and mercy because of His love for us. We see the need for both justice and mercy. The Creator provides that, but He gives us the freedom to choose.

This Creator has wisdom, understanding and knowledge that far outstrips our own.  We have learned so much, and there is so much more we do not know or understand. Look and see this gloriously complex world and come to know your Creator better. What more could you learn about Him? Will you join creation’s symphony of praise?