Awesome

The red, glowing beauty of the horizon during a sunset…

The vast immenseness of the ocean…

The intricacy of the human body…

The faithfulness of God…

Those are some of the things that I consider truly awesome.

Have you ever thought about that word? From my understanding, the word awesome used to be employed only when something was truly spectacular, unbelievable, and provoking true awe. These days, however, that word is used several times a day for things that are merely notable. Doughnuts, TV shows, mattresses, and car sales have all been referred to using the adjective “awesome.” I find myself using this word casually far too often. Then, when I see or experience something truly awesome, the word simply doesn’t have enough power to describe what I feel.

Today, while I was fixing dinner, I noticed a rainbow. It was bright and colorful and spanned from horizon to horizon. As the rainbow faded, the sky and all of the clouds turned a beautiful orange just before the sun set. A few moments later, my roommates and I noticed a flash of light in the dark sky followed by the booming sound of thunder. The clouds, that had been a bright billowy red a few minutes ago, began to water the land as the thunder and lightning continued. My roommate, Lindsey, and I stepped outside for a while to watch. At one point, a flash of lightning exploded just above our heads, immediately producing a tremendously loud clap of thunder. The pop and deep rumble of the thunder was enough to make both of us react in fright and run for cover. Now the thunder and lightning have stopped, but it continues to rain off and on. The calm and peace of the weather now compared to its power a few minutes ago is a strange contrast, but it shows the power of God very well.

Awesome!