Glimpses of Heaven

"Early Bird..."
Panasonic FZ50, f4.0, 100 ISO, 88 mm Jpeg

We all have ephemeral glimpses of heaven but I suppose that sometimes we are too busy to notice. How many times have I missed a moment of divine beauty because I was fretting about a parish meeting or wondering how I was going to pay the tax return?! Often such glimpses are unexpected, as in driving around the corner to see little more than the shadow of a deer just vanishing into the forest or the glimpse into the soul of a newborn baby when they open their eyes for the first time. Sometimes they are more planned such as in reaching the summit of a mountain on a clear day and then trying to absorb the sheer scale of the magnificently crafted landscape beneath you. Perhaps the most surprising thing of all is that God's beauty is everywhere, to be found in every person, each of whom He has made in His own image and to be found in all that the Creator's hand has touched...

One morning I was standing out the front of our house to have a better look at the misty yet colourful sunrise that was taking place - it was a special moment. Out of the mist came a single bird flying towards me. Without thinking I lifted up my camera and took the picture you see above. A lucky shot? Yes, and one that reminds me of the beauty of God's creation that I take too often for granted...