Perplexing Beauty

It is truly a winter wonderland outside my window.
Since the temperatures are still below freezing, ice remains on all the branches.
Spectacular, intricate designs hang precariously from each limb.

As the sun shines through the branches, the ice shimmers and glistens.
Each design more delicate than than the one before.
All created by the Master Ice Sculptor.

It is important to see the beauty in such a devastating storm.
Beauty that bewilders.
Beauty that begs the question, How can something so beautiful be so perplexing?

These are the days I wish I was an artist.
An artist that can capture a moment in time on the canvas.
A photographer that can snap a picture, freeze framing time for a second.

I walked to my car, my house still without power, and paused.
I actually stopped, almost afraid to take a step.
Glass was all over the walkway and all over the driveway.

Shards of glass that glistened.
Upon closer inspection, I realized that I was not about to walk on glass at all.
The tiny glistening shards were really pieces of ice.

The mild wind was gently shaking the ice off the branches.
The ice was smashing to the ground, with a startling sound.
Branches were cracking under the weight of the ice and snapping unseen in the woods.

I had to tell myself that this was ice, not glass.
My brain had a hard time believing that.
The appearance before me said glass; the reality before me said ice.

I had to retrain my brain to drive over the ice that looked like glass.
I had to tell myself that this was not going to give me a flat tire.
Slivers of ice mimicking broken crystal.

How can something so beautiful be so perplexing?
How indeed?

Focusing on the beauty but not considering the danger is foolish.
Focusing on the danger but not considering the beauty is incomplete.

Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome. Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still they lowered their wings. Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire, and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and heard the voice of One speaking. He said, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” As He spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me. (Ezekiel 1:20-2:2)

Ezekiel was a prophet.
He tried desperately to describe his call from God.
How can a mortal man possibly describe the Majesty of God?

How can human words describe God’s Grandeur?
How can our limited words describe heavenly things?
How can the beauty of God be put into finite words?

How can something so Beautiful be so perplexing?

Focusing on the love of God but not considering His justness is foolish.
Focusing on the justness of God and not considering His love is incomplete.

God is “perplexing-ly” beautiful.
God is both loving and just.
God is The Word who is indescribable.

We can know God from His Word but He will never be fully known.
We can see God’s beauty in all He created but it will always perplex us.

Good that it does.
God’s perplexing beauty is beyond words.
How can the finite adequately describe the Infinite?
How indeed?