Embrace The Kingdom At Hand

On Thursday night, I felt the sobering weight of sadness that so many of us are experiencing these days. It was a cool evening and a light winter rain had just started to fall. Dinner dishes waited in the kitchen, and leftover pizza sat atop the stove, cold and forgotten. I knew I needed to get up and go take care of it, but I didn’t have the energy or motivation.

I couldn’t bear to turn on the news. I didn’t have a desire to read, write, start a project, or even get ready for bed. Go figure. 😊

So in those quiet moments of procrastination, I started an aimless scroll through one of my digital photo albums. Before long, a shot from 2019 grabbed my attention, and I immediately thought of my parent’s trip to Arizona near the end of that year.

They visited the Grand Canyon, a place I’ve long wanted to see, and in just a few seconds, something about the picture lifted my spirits. The south rim of the canyon spread across my screen, capturing the light and shadows of a golden sunset. It’s a photo I’ve shared before, but this time, the scene resurrected an old memory from an IMAX film.

I wish I could give you the name or more specifics, but I haven’t been able to locate the details of the movie. All I remember is this. As I took in the story from my seat, a European explorer slowly trotted his mount across an overgrown, uninhabited landscape of the West. Suddenly, an excited scout burst from the thick brush beyond the explorer’s line of vision, and he motioned wildly for man and horse to follow him back into the woods.

What happened next has never left me.

I think the depiction was that of Spanish Captain García López de Cárdenas on the Coronado Expedition. It led to the Grand Canyon discovery, and when the cinematic portrayal lit up the screen, I remember wondering what it must have felt like to come across such an awe-inspiring sight for the very first time.

Before ever hearing about it or seeing the likeness in a photograph. Before ever knowing it existed or placing the destination on a dream vacation list.

Can you imagine?

The film followed the explorer’s movement as he dismounted, fell in line behind the scout, and walked to the breathtaking edge of one of the greatest wonders of the world. The producers did a great job of capturing a remote area that looks different from the high traffic locations of today.

There were no crowds. No high rails or strong fence panels. There were no tourist attractions or marked lookout spots. Just pure, unspoiled natural beauty that left him speechless.

Sitting in a comfortable theater chair, I was mesmerized by the next scene as the Captain bent to one knee, lifted his hat, and bowed his head to the awesome God of all Creation.

Of course, we don’t know the actual, real life details of how it all unfolded, but I imagine this rendering might be pretty accurate.

After the brief snapshot on my computer sent me further down memory lane than I planned to go that night, the unexpected journey finally came full circle and dumped me back into a hard reality.

The world is in chaos. Fear and hate and corruption abound. Uncertainty is the new normal, and animosity tears through a divided country as it bites and devours the guilty and innocent alike.

It’s a heavy burden to bear, and a hard, painful history in the making.

But even in all of this, something shifted as I cleared the table and gathered the dinner dishes. My steps felt lighter, the future brightened beyond the dark clouds of the moment, and I was surprised at the subtle transformation.

It’s not a secret that life marches ever forward, no matter what is happening in the here and now, but I sometimes lose focus of just how big God really is.

Maybe you do too.

Kingdoms rise and they fall. The governments of man disappoint. But when we take a step back and consider that the nations are as a drop in a bucket compared to the everlasting power of God, hope is born anew.

Reflecting on that brief scene from the film I watched all those years ago, and looking at the photos of my parent’s trip out west brought fresh energy to my heart and mind. It was a journey through time, and in some ways, also a foretelling of the future.

Things might get worse. I hope not, but it is possible. Our land and our homes and our daily routines might become even more unrecognizable. We may have unfamiliar terrain to cover in the months and years ahead. But isn’t that what God’s people have always done? They rise to the occasion with faith and press through the unknown.

Luke 17:21 says the kingdom of God is within you, and Romans 14:17 tells us it is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. There is comfort in knowing that the same God who carved out the majesty of a beautiful rock canyon, and led His people through untold generations of uncertainty, is the same One that abides with us today.

So let’s take heart. Press forward. Stay focused and embrace the true kingdom at hand.