My Shadow

I realized the other day how neat my shadow is.  I had never really paid attention to it, but Ian and I were talking the other day and he made me realize that our shadow is a pretty cool thing.  If you are walking outside on a bright sunny day, when there isn't a cloud in the sky and the sun is beating down on you, you can look to the ground and there at your feet is your shadow.  You can wave at your shadow and they will wave back at you, you can tip your cap to your shadow and they will tip their cap at you, you can jump for joy and so will your shadow. 

Whatever action you do, your shadow will do the same action.  If you watch people playing soccer or basketball or baseball, take the time to watch the game on the ground.  The shadows are playing too.  They are playing their own game and it is like watching a ballet.  Everything is so graceful and wonderful.  The movements are spot on and flow perfectly.  A shadow is probably one of the most perfect things in the world.  A mirror image of you.

The interesting thing is that when it is cloudy and gray, our shadow goes away.  It disappears, or does it really?  I think when it is dark and gray or night time and we don't see our shadow, our shadow is actually stronger than ever.  It is a lot like God in many ways.  We often see God in the trees, mountains, our jobs, families, sports, everything great that we have in our lives when we are excited and happy.  But the minute that something bad happens and our world is turned upside down, we turn from God or don't see him so easily.  We don't feel him there with us. 

The thing is that God is there stronger than ever at those points in our lives.  He can't be seen as easily because he is inside of us working hard to help us through our problems and difficult times.  He is holding on to us and loving us.  He has such a powerful loving grasp on us that it is hard to see him which makes us think he isn't there.  That same thing happens with our shadows.  When it is gray and the light is taken away, our shadow doesn't disappear, it goes inside of us and helps us to remain whole.  It grabs onto us and holds on until there is an opportunity to come out again and say hey. 

God is our shadow and our shadow is God.  Tomorrow take a good look at your shadow and I promise you that you will see God.  That you will feel his love when you wave at him and he waves back.  Tomorrow night, take a look at yourself in the mirror and you will see God holding onto you and loving you.  God is the shadow of our lives.