Silhouette

Silhouette

It was the Christmas of 2013, and my best friend, Lisa, and I were relishing the warm, Australian summer and all the festivities of Christmas, together. She was here visiting from the USA and we squeezed every second out of every day. We decided to take a train trip into Sydney to enjoy all the Christmas decorations of that hustling, bustling city. With wonder and delight we toured the restored, old, grand Queen Victoria Building, which sparkled with well placed twinkie lights. In the centre of the building, going from the floor, up through the three stories, into the coloured dome of the ceiling, was a wondrously magnificent Christmas tree, bedecked with shimmering crystals, which held our thrilled attention. Next we gazed with childlike joy at the display windows of the David Jones Department store. Each window enraptured us with their Christmas themed marionette puppets. They were cute, charming and they filled us with merriment . With pleasure we took in the beautiful, rotating nativity scene in a glass dome, beside sweeping staircases of twinkling Christmas trees. The city was filled with jostling crowds all taking in the Christmas delights. Street entertainers kept the atmosphere one of warmth and gladness and the Christmas spirit enveloped the city. On many corners stood sales girls, with arms full of red and green reindeer antlers. The antlers were made from sponge and looked like so much fun. People were buying them and wearing them. As the crowds passed by, the antlers bobbed cheerily along next to the balloons that children were clutching, after their visit to Santa. I gazed longingly at those antlers. I so wanted a pair, but I resisted, for a while longer, as we made our way past the beautiful gardens of St James and onto the life sized nativity scene. We took many photos and enjoyed the time spent together and the atmosphere of excitement. As we made our way back through the park, we stopped to admire the outdoor Christmas trees, attractively dotting the acres of lush parkland.  Then we saw them again. Those antlers. I just had to have a pair. I just had to convince my best friend she needed a pair too. With a sense of adventure and fun we each bought a pair and donned them. We looked at each other and laughed and laughed. What fun. With joviality we continued our tour of Sydney, complete in our new regalia; and we spent our evening at an outdoor Carols by Candelight  event, antlers waving and keeping us in laughter.

Eventually Lisa departed Australia, returning home to the USA, taking with her a suit case full of Christmas presents, a heart filled with cherished memories and her green sponge reindeer antlers. We both placed our antlers away, to be forgotten through the year of 2014. Then we remembered. The Christmas season was upon us once more. It had been a busy, tiring and hard year for us. Lisa’s university term ended and the relief of successfully finishing her subjects washed over us both. We stepped into the joy of Christmas and jumped onto Skype to talk. We laughed at each other as we both once more placed the antlers on our heads. There was Lisa in her green antlers and me in my red ones chatting away, laughter filled the air and we spent several hours together. 

After we hung up from Skype , I walked into my bedroom. As I did, I gazed through the window , across the road at the neighbours. Their garage door was wide open and so was the back garage door and people were relaxing outside in the cool of the summer’s evening. I looked with surprise, for there sitting in their garage, on a chair, was a lady wearing reindeer antlers . I called out to my husband and messaged Lisa. We were all laughing about the neighbour with her antlers too. Lisa was begging for a photo and my husband and I kept laughing. Suddenly my husband stopped laughing. He strained to look better at the shadowed figure sitting in the garage. He analysed it carefully and concluded it wasn’t moving. Not only was it not moving, it wasn’t a woman wearing reindeer antlers, but alas, it was nothing more than the silhouette of a motor bike. I don’t think I will live that one down for a long time. The laughter from my husband and Lisa will be ringing in my ears for many years. 

How could my mind see an antlered woman on a chair, when in reality it was a motor bike? I had just spent several hours looking at Lisa in her antlers. She was imprinted on my mind. As I looked across the road, the darkened outline of the motor bike took on the shape of what I had been beholding. How often I can do that with God. I spend much time with my mind on the people of this earth, I behold them, they imprint on my mind. I see their characters, I see how they respond to me, treat me, love me or dislike me. As I turn from people to glance at God, I see His silhouette and He takes on the character of those I have beheld around me. I don’t trust Him, I think He will respond or treat me or love or dislike me, as people do. God is love. He is only ever good.His thoughts are not my thoughts and His ways are not my ways. God wants me to behold Him.To truly behold Him.  He wants my mind’s eye to be so filled with a picture of Him that the misty shadows take definition and His beauty becomes more clearer. In this new year that is ahead let’s take the time to fill our mind with pictures of God, to see Him for who He really is. Will you behold Him? Will I? 

Isa 55:8, 9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God

2 Cor 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit