Gods big neighborhood

Good morning Neighbors,

My manager at work Lindy went on a business trip halfway around the world several months ago. She spent time with our colleagues in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. There is a new manager in that region and she had to go “show him the ropes”. Since she was born in the Philippians she decided to add a vacation to her trip to visit family and friends while in Asia.

She came back with gifts and gave me a black crystal bracelet. It is beautiful and dainty and I wear it every day.
Going from Jacksonville to Asia is a lot of flying – a lot of miles. On her way back home, she was on the plane somewhere between Detroit and Jacksonville (bored and tired) when she looked out of the airplane window. There were magnificent clouds all around far beyond her human eyesight. All she thought about was God. Where was He in all of that awesomeness? What a sea of peaceful clouds. "Could this possibly be what heaven looks like?", she pondered. No birds, no people, no wars, no animals, no bills, no job, no sickness, not worries; none of that - just Lindy, the clouds, and God! She imagined herself lying on the clouds. It was heaven out there. She took out her camera. Click, click, click, and click. Can one preserve this feeling in a camera? They say a picture can speak a thousand words but this was something that could not be explained.
Lindy had the cloud pictures developed and hung one on the wall in her office. I imagine when work is its busiest, she looks at the picture of clouds on the wall and feels the peace that surpasses all understanding and draws the strength it takes to endure and complete all of the tasks assigned to her using strength and brainpower that God provides.

God is everywhere all the time and we know that. But how can we see God? My mother used to play a record over and over when I was a kid. It’s called “I Believe. The Minister of Music, Carolyn Bonaparte from my home church in Queens NY used to sing it too. I believe the words of this song will help us to know when we see God: Neighbours, remember this, although we cannot “see” God with our natural eye; rest assured, He can see us. One of my favourite scriptures is David speaking to God in

Psalm 139:7-12 “Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? To be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, you’d find me in a minute— you’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.”

What a mighty God we serve!
By Sharon Griffin - Rogers
Jacksonville - Florida

www.godsbigneighborhood.com