This is from an old newsletter I used to put out, called "Heart Cry." October, 1998. I wrote it after having viewed a spectacular air and water show in Chicago.

There he was, the lonely thing, right in the midst of the glory of that day, and no one noticed him.

They say over 2 million people gathered during that 2-day event in Chicago, the famed “air and water” show. I’d listened to it on the radio, traveling to and from this bit of business or that, determining finally last year that I’d BE there next time!

And I was. My wife and I braved the heat, the traffic, the throngs, even a ride on the CTA. Things are never as wonderful as they seem, you know. To keep cool, we stood ankle deep in Lake Michigan, turning sunburned faces into a hot Chicago sky. Children unaware of our august presence splashed by with aggravating showers from time to time.

But through all the little annoyances, we were thrilled by the sights and sounds of some of men’s finest creations. Pleasure planes and war planes, loud and quiet, modern and ancient.

I forget when I saw him . Perhaps during the daring act of the “Blue Angels.” A lone seagull twisting and turning and diving and rising and soaring and...no one noticed that he was outdoing every vessel in the show.

Friends joined him, and there were pigeons, too. Lowly pigeons. The lowliest of the birds was similarly outclassing these monster machines. No one has yet equaled the creation of God.

But the announcer made no mention of it. I heard no shouts or even hushed whispers as the glory of God, eloquently declared by these winged creations, hovered over the proceedings.

Reminds me of one who said it far more beautifully, Marcie Hans:

Fueled

by a million

man-made

wings of fire-

the rocket tore a tunnel

through the sky-

and everybody cheered.

Fueled

only by a thought from God-

the seedling

urged its way

through the thicknesses of black-

and as it pierced

the heavy ceiling of the soil-

and launched itself

up into outer space-

no

one

even

clapped.

Isn’t it always the way, believer? You brought a soul to Christ the other day. Through the Spirit’s work in you, someone now will live forever. On that day, a fine doctor saved a fine patient and the world roared. The patient may live a few more years now.

But then we do not seek glory now. God has promised it for later, when crowns of same shall be placed on our heads. Crowns which we will then be able to snatch away and cast at the feet of Jesus claiming we were unprofitable servants. And so we are. Created and programmed by God like those pigeons and gulls, but even in our “unprofitable” state, honored by Christ , and told that we are loved .