after an ice storm in Indiana, photo by Janine Pickett
I regularly search flea markets and rummage sales for fine crystal—Lalique, Tiffany,
Val St. Lambert—at cheap prices to add to my ever-expanding collection of vases,
figurines, and art glass bowls. I am mesmerized by the light and colors of the rainbow
prisms that bounce through my curio cabinet and dance around my living room walls.
One particular day, I brought home a crystal decanter and set it in my kitchen window,
too tired, for now, to make room in the glass case. The sun came out and struck the
decanter in such a way that my whole kitchen was filled with amazing color and light.
I'd never seen such beauty, and it threw me into a state of pure "wonder." I stood there,
stunned, musing on the colors, thinking if we can see such beauty here on earth, then
how much more beautiful Heaven, with all its glory and light and color, will be.
Suddenly, I whispered aloud, "How beautiful Heaven must be!"
That evening, long after the sun set, my mind returned to what had happened in my
kitchen and I found myself repeating aloud, "Lord, Heaven must be so beautiful!"
The next morning, I woke up and looked out my window to see that an unexpected
ice storm had come in overnight, and the sun was striking the earth so that it glistened
like gems—rivers of rainbows, diamonds, crystals, and light. Praise God!
He hears our words, he knows our hearts, he brings us unexpected joy! He delights
in surprising us! Jesus knew the childlike wonder I experienced over the decanter
and its colors and the idea of how beautiful Heaven must be, and I believe he responded
by showing me so much more!
I realize probably many people in our area witnessed the beauty of that morning, but I
know without a doubt that the Lord was speaking to my heart.
"Lord, help me to set aside my cynical worldview, and see through the eyes of a child
the beauty, mysteries, and power of God." Amen.
_____________________________
Janine Pickett is the founding editor of Spirit Fire Review and Indiana Voice Journal. She's had nonfiction work published in commercial print magazines, including
Country Woman, and in Chicken Soup For The Soul. Her poetry appears in print anthologies, including Poets of Madison County, a regional poetry anthology
which she co-edited. Janine is also an artist. Her artwork has been featured in
online journals, used as book covers, and featured in the "Figures of Speech"
gallery at Anderson Museum of Art. You can reach her at: Spiritfirereview@gmail.com
​