It was one of those moments that as you recall it you are there again. I was outside on a cold Northern Ontario evening when I looked up. The heavens glimmered with a myriad of lustrous stars. I was startled by the beauty! I silently pondered “The heavens declare your glory, Lord.” The Don McLean song “Starry Night” began to play in my mind. As I recall that brief but poignant moment I wonder how people can be blinded to the message of the skies “There is a creator!”
MacLean posits that “This world was never meant for One as beautiful as you” The old hymn tells us the meadows are fair, the sunshine is fair and the twinkling starry host is fair; but Jesus is fairer! The beauty of nature itself both pales in comparison and points to the exquisite beauty of Jesus.
Romans 1:20 teaches us that if creation was the only witness to God that there is enough evidence in it alone for us to know that God is and that he is almighty. I have been privileged to stand outside without all the ambient light of the city and gaze up. I have stood on sea shores and even mountain tops. I have had the wonderful advantage of wonder-filled occasions. So many of my Street Hope friends have not had these same advantages. Their poverty keeps them imprisoned within a walking distance, stuck in the drab grey and tedious small world in which they live.
With all this on my heart, I have felt led to give my friends the opportunity to experience the beauty of our world. Here in New Brunswick, beauty is on our doorstep (a local might say “In our dooryard.”) We live in “The Picture Province”. In a series of day trips we can visit some of the most beautiful spots on earth. We are planning on taking “A Roamin’ Holiday”. The title is inspired by the passage in Romans which sparked the idea and captures the itinerant nature of the plan.
The plan is to get the biggest “beauty” bang for the buck, but it will still require money. Would you join us in praying for this adventure? Would you consider helping us financially? We are hoping for at least 60 people to help us with donations of $50. Last year people were generous to help us with our lavish Fandango and the gift of fans that we gave each guest. I hope we can match that generosity for this project.
At the top of this page is a “Donate” button, or you can send a cheque to Threshold Ministries with a note in the memo ”Roamin’ Holiday” 105 Mountain View Dr. Saint John NB E2J 3B5. You can also call: 1 506 642 2210 and arrange a credit card payment.
I pray that you, too, will take opportunity this summer, to experience God in the beauty of his creation. Thanks.
Hope & Reedemption 