By Rev. Pete Hyde
He stands before a large, empty, stark white canvas with paints and brushes at the ready. It is time to create. With the skill of a master artist, he begins to paint. He starts with a pure blue and brushes the top of the canvas. He smiles as if gaining strength and inspiration from the first few brush strokes. With a sense of mission, he changes brushes and colors and is now fully immersed in His task. Hues of reds, yellows, oranges, browns and greens begin to fill the canvas with so much color it would take away the breath of all who would see. Grays and browns and whites break the rainbow of colors and add contrast and a depth of beauty that only a master could portray. Across the azure blue, he sweeps strands of grey and white. He steps back for a moment to look upon his creation. It seems the painting goes on forever and flows off the edges of the canvas and fills his entire field of vision. But something was missing. Even though it was brilliant, it was just a lifeless canvas. Yes, it was pretty and inspiring, but it was a flat picture. Something else was needed.
He raises His hand and speaks life into the canvas. The grey strands of clouds streak across the pure, blue sky driven by a crisp north wind. The reds, yellows, oranges, greens and browns come to life as the wind rustles through the leaves. The sun, breaking through the blotchy clouds, makes the colors in the valley contrast between subdued shadows and brilliant exclamation points of color. The grey, black and white cliffs towering hundreds of feet above the valley floor frame each section of color. A lull in the wind allows the sounds of the river below to echo through valley. The rain of the day before brings forth the smells of fallen leaves. The smell of smoke from a fireplace somewhere lingers in the air and adds to the magic of the scene.
The couple stood on the overlook. Little was said. Pictures were taken. The moments and company of each other and presence of the Master Artist were all that was needed. As they drove the winding roads, the leaves of infinite color swirled around them. With each break in the tree line the beauty of the living canvas brought new images and inspiration. “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!!”
Psalm 104:31-34 says: “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him for I rejoice in the Lord.”
This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Rev. Pete Hyde serves as chaplain with the South Walton Fire District
