We heard there was ash falling in Manila. As I stepped out onto the porch of our house I was immediately overwhelmed by what I liken to “black snow” falling everywhere. It was covering up the white bannisters, covering my patio umbrella, getting in my hair. Volcanic ash is not really ash per se, it is technically rock and glass – like a course ground coffee all over….well, everything. (I do feel Starbucks may have missed some sort of marketing opportunity here).
My next thought was “surely this is not good to breathe”, and I told my wife we should run to the store and buy some face masks. Upon arriving at the mall, we saw that many others had the same idea, and we were able to buy some of the last remaining masks in the store. Filtering masks are now a hot commodity in Manila, and I’ve learned what N95 means (look it up).
In processing all of these events, I am struck with two thoughts:
how small we are and how great God is.
Left to our own devices, despite all of our technology as mankind, we have no way to stop this volcano should it decide to do something worse. No patch, no cap, no military grade stopper that can hold it back. Nothing to stop the earthquakes happening. And, left to my own self, the best thing I could do for my family was a dollar-store face mask.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
Psalm 8:3
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
Is there any thing about us that should cause God to be mindful of us? According to David in the Psalm above – no, not really. This volcano reminds me of that. ‘I got nothin’. It is humbling.
Yet God cares for me immensely! David is awestruck by the fact that the same God who created that volcano is the one Who, as he says, “visits” with us. He loves us so, that he visits with us! He came to be with us through His Son, and He is with us through His Spirit and His Word. He calls us His children!
I am reminded that God did not love me because of how great I am, but because of how great He is.