It was a most glorious evening in early February when the world forgot it was winter for a time and the sun brightly shined. I was sitting on a bench right outside the library on campus, my soul soaking in the light as I read a fascinating short story for my American Literature class, The Yellow Wallpaper. It seemed this moment was part of the canvas of my day which God decided to paint yellow with His reviving light and joy.
I would look up from my book every once in a while to find friends gathering, laying on blankets, resting in hammocks, and sitting and playing guitar together. They were doing the same thing I was: soaking in the light. How beautiful and how strong is the pull which human souls feel towards the light. How wonderful, to let yourself rest in the light of His presence and take in His beauty all around you in a world that is so dark and messy.
My brother walked up to me and joined me where I was, that precious spot in the sun, and we talked for hours about the motions of our minds and the many happenings of this wild, wondrous life. At one point in the conversation, we had begun talking about poetry and how profound and beautiful an art it is. We talked about our shared love for the Psalms, with its poetry and songs of lamenting and rejoicing. Then, he told me some very wise words. He said, “We’re walking through His poetry and we’re living through His poem. Every step we take is a new word in His pages.” Upon hearing these words, my heart was struck with their beauty and truth. All humanity truly is living in God’s gloriously, gorgeously crafted poem, and each soul is a precious part of His story in the universe.
Everywhere you look, His beauty shines and beckons for the attention and admiration of human hearts. I see His beauty in the smiling faces of family and friends, in the sound of their laughter, in the pure blue hue of the heavens that is all aglow with the sun and blessing the earth with its gentle warmth so very missed in the deep winter. I see His beauty in singing and writing and conversing with people to hear their stories and learn more about their souls. I see His beauty in not fearing getting to know new people, because everyone is walking through a storm unknown to you and every soul deserves to be known, is worth getting to know.
So, yes, with my brother, I wholeheartedly agree. All human souls are living, breathing, beautiful parts of God’s poem, parts of the miraculous story He is writing. We are all living in God’s poem.