CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON -- The Moral of the Story

“Rather than shocking the globe with an occasional demonstration of

deity, God has opted to display his power daily. Proverbially. Pounding

waves. Prism-cast colors. Birth, death, life. We are surrounded by

miracles. God is throwing testimonies at us like fireworks, each one

exploding, ‘God is! God is!’ ”

-- Max Lucado

“That’s remarkable, how do they do that?”

“Wow, that’s my favorite one yet!”

“This is by far the best show I’ve seen in years.”

I was one of many spectators in a little boat in the Back Bay on the

Fourth of July, and these were just some of the comments we made to one

another. The bay was buzzing with boats of all sizes, many of them

colorfully decorated with flags, balloons and streamers. Most of the

people on board were equally patriotic in dress and enthusiasm. It was a

gorgeous night. Actually the entire day was postcard perfect.

Fifteen of us started the day with an early morning bike ride, and we

were greeted with stunning blue skies dotted with occasional puffs of

white clouds. As my grandmother used to say, the day was glorious.

Someone in our group said, “Thank you, God, for this beautiful day,” and

I found myself saying the same thing many times during the day.

Everywhere I looked I was struck by the splendor of God’s creation,

evident in the beauty of the friendships, as well as the hills and ocean

we pedaled past.

That night I enjoyed the fireworks. It was a clear night with a gentle

breeze, and the sky was the perfect backdrop for the show. There was such

an assortment of colors and shapes, and often what started out as one

color exploded and became another before twinkling and eventually

evaporating.

They really were impressive, and deep crashing booms and blasts

reverberated through the sky and sea. People expressed their excitement

by cheering, clapping and honking horns. From where we were, we could

actually see two other fireworks shows in the distance. The sky was

alive.

In between the displays, I looked around me. God had created His own

show of power and majesty in the form of a star-spangled sky. The moon

was full, and though it was silent, it seemed to shout of God’s

magnificence. Several times I thought I saw lightning bolts flash.

As with all shows, the fireworks eventually had to end. Someone on

board our boat said, “The finale is always fantastic.” And it certainly

was. Soon the noise of the fireworks was replaced by the noise of car and

boat engines as everybody headed back home.

I looked up at the sky again. It was still a clear night with a gentle

breeze, and the sky was still the perfect backdrop for God’s show. The

moon was still full and the stars still sparkled proudly. The sky was

still very much alive.

It’s fun to watch the fireworks show one night a year. But what a

privilege it is that we can watch God’s handiworks show every night and

every day of every year.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at o7

cindy@onthegrow.comf7 or through the mail at P.O. Box 6140-No. 505,

Newport Beach, CA 92658.