THE DAY I SAW GOD: This vignette takes the reader on an unusual journey. It lets you see life happening through the eyes of a narrator who had a most unusual experience. Although it is totally fictional—I wonder just what it would be like if we could spend just one day with God  and come back to tell about it.  I wonder if it would be anything  like this?

“From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth–He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.. . .The eyes of the LORD are on those who fear  Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love , to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. “ (Psalm 33: 11-15, 18,19).

Scene 1: Somewhere above earth. The narrator speaks:

The clouds part and I peer into the bright sky all around me. Where am I? I check for my seat-belt, thinking I’m on a flight somewhere. When I look down and around there is no seat and no plane is moving me. I am suspended in midair, yet moving—not floating. I can see that the veil between heaven and earth is gone. I am seeing both at the same time, and not only am I looking at a bird’s eye view of the world, I see HIM—the ALMIGHTY GOD—in his celestial city—overseeing the earth below!

Where am I? I ask myself the question because it appears that I am alone. But I’m not alone. He is with me. I am fixed in His shadow. Amazed, I remember that He is everywhere present at all times, and from where I am. He is less than an arm’s reach away. Of course I’m shocked. I pinch myself to see if this is real and if I’m really awake.
Ouch! This is real. But how? Why? Am I dreaming? What’s going on?

He is different that I had always imagined Him.

My questions are interrupted as my focus is drawn to Him and His face. He is different that I had always imagined Him. Michael Angelo’s art work has informed my mind of what our Creator’s body might look like—particularly His strength and…BIGNESS. Seeing Him now, I can see how His image defies description.  In this accounting  I can only  surmise that He is not like any mental image I had of him before this moment.

I am struck by His character more than His image.  That seems to be the part I remember most. His rapt attention to things happening in His world below was intense and all consuming. As I watch Him watching His world below, I become aware that just as He sits here beside me in this heavenly realm far above earth, He is also among those we watch, moving to and fro, listening, caring, helping—and bathing all with His blessings. This defies description and I don’t expect you to understand—or even to believe me. How could you? I too would have had difficulty believing such an account. But somehow I feel compelled to use my words to convey even the smallest wonder, awe and mystery of what I experienced on the day I saw God.

I’m still stunned and awed as I reflect on this unusual experience. As I remember it, I was sitting right beside Him, watching Him closely, and the things below. As time passed I forgot that I was in some celestial place, and instead, I became keenly aware that I had the capacity to see as He sees, and to hear what He hears—as though I were experiencing things through his senses, yet without the burden or responsibility to respond to what I was seeing. It was as though I were watching life happen through a one-way glass at life—through His eyes. (I know how impossible this sounds, but that is how it was on that day.)

That is when I saw the emotional side of God’s character. At times a sorrowful look crossed His brow and at other times His whole countenance would brightened. This confused me. What does He see and hear below that causes His mood and expression to change so?

Watching closely, I assess that His sorrow or joy appears to be affected by the scenes we watch. Suddenly it dawns on me! He not only sees the scenes below, as one would through a jetliner window—above and detached. He sees and hear all that is happening, building by building, home by home, office by office, and person by person. All at the same moment in time.

Nothing escapes His watchful gaze. Nothing misses His caring heart.  

Looking intently at the scenes that pass us by, I wished with all my heart that I could to see what He sees—maybe even feel what He feels. Even as this unspoken desire forms in my heart and head, I’m surprised that suddenly I’m able to zoom in closer; the minutia below becomes life-sized—as though I’m present, yet unseen. His gaze lingers over a place I recognize—my eyes turn there also. I’m surprised to recognize this scene as my home town—my neighborhood. Taking in the details of life happening before me, I can see that some homes appear to be in trouble. Strangely, His glance passes over some homes, while over others, He lingers, listening to and watching these with great interest–as though He is preparing to do something.

What’s that I hear? Weeping? His gaze turns toward a home in a well-to-do neighborhood.  I can see her now—the one weeping–a lone woman, bent over her kitchen table, a bible open before her. She sobs as if her world were coming apart. Her words, at first, sound like mumblings interspersed with deep sobs, but then I realize that I am listening—and so is He. These sounds are words we can understand. This woman’s mother-heart is breaking. Overcome with grief over her son’s destructive lifestyle, she prays to God to have mercy on him and to save him from his foolish ways—to give him a new life, a new path to follow. I’m shocked at her pain and the wetness of her tears that flow without ceasing.

That’s when I notice the tears wetting His sovereign cheeks.
I look at the LORD, and wonder—”Is He weeping for or with this woman? What will He do?’

He listens then a little longer, then making a slight a motion with his right hand, someone (or some thing—I cannot tell) in the shadows leaves heaven and moves toward the woman below.  As I focus again on the scene below, the woman rises to answer a knock at the door. A slightly older woman greets her and asks to come in. This visitor envelops the burdened one in a compassionate embrace—leading her to the table again. At this point, my hearing decreases and I lose my ability to hear what they are saying, but I can see encouragement taking place. I look at the Sovereign and His face brightens;  the tears dry on his cheeks.

Before I can discern what happens next  His face turns toward yet another home. We move on.

(To be continued. . .)

NOTE: Some of the verses that came to my mind as I wrote  this scene are from the Psalms. If you wish to  ‘see’ more of God’s character of love and compassion, look at these.

Psalm 34: 15-19;  Psalm 86: 5–7; 15;  Psalm 139:1-18; Psalm 147:3

Please come back and see what happens in the next part of our narrator’s experience in THE DAY I SAW GOD.

Linda