It was a sad day—the second anniversary of my grandson Garrett’s tragic death. Moods were subdued, even as we tried to enjoy the day cooking Garrett’s recipe for Chicken Alfredo, enjoying his favorite activities, sharing precious memories. It is strange how ordinary days can take on lives of their own when tragedies and death make them out of the ordinary.

The day was winding down as we rode out on our pontoon boat to see the sunset. One of the last things Garrett did the day he died was to watch the sunset with Uncle Joe, Aunt Heather and some of his friends. It is an activity the entire family enjoys doing frequently–a pleasant, peaceful, beautiful end to a summer day–an unspoken act of worship of the Creator of the universe.

It was a particularly lovely evening as we rode along.  A white crane flew gracefully right in front of us. It was unusually quiet. We saw only one other boat glide by and one jet ski that interrupted the silence.

A hush fell over the boat full of nine people as we stopped mid-lake to watch the changing heavens. The scenes changed quickly from orange to gray to blue to pink. It was as if the Lord were putting on a slideshow just for us as the sun set in the western sky–a show so dramatic that I would later check with other observers to make sure my camera wasn’t out of whack. It wasn’t. The glorious scenes were real–amazing–the Divine Artist had created yet another a masterpiece.

We sat in awe of the creation and the Creator. Favorite scriptures came to mind. I quoted aloud a favorite passage I memorized as a child.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1-3 NKJV)

The heavens were indeed speaking—though there was no sound other than our whispers.

And then I saw it. An unusual cloud formation was beginning to form. It was faint, but it was there!  It was a crown—a pink crown!

It happened so quickly that most of my family had a hard time visualizing what I was seeing so later, I searched the internet for pictures of my mental image.

A simple sketch revealed what was in my mind’s eye and a photo of a real crown revealed it in all its grandeur.

The Lord seemed to be reminding me that HE is in charge. HE knows what he is doing even when I don’t understand it. He has our little family–and all of creation–in the palm of his hand.

“The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.” (Psalm 103:19 NLT)

On reflection, a passage I read at Garrett’s funeral also came to mind to further clarify our situation:

“’My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.'” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

As we headed toward home, we could see a fireworks display in the distance–man’s futile attempt to light up the skies. For our family, though, the day ended with assurance that even when we don’t fully understand his purposes, he is there to comfort us in our distress:

“Sing for joy, O heavens!  Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.” (Isaiah 49:13 NLT)

Nothing that man can do could ever compare with the grandeur of God’s creation, and we can rejoice in his promise:

“For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.” (1 Timothy 6:15 NLT)

What about you? Has the Lord ever comforted you in ways you could not explain? I’d love to hear from you. Thanks once again for reading and sharing. Until he comes again and we meet the King of Kings face to face, I pray you rest in his loving hands and enjoy the abundant life only he can provide!

^“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” (John 10:10 AMP)