Jacob Glassner

I love a window seat.

I don’t fly the friendly skies very often, but when I do, I can’t help but stare out of the window. Seeing the earth from 30,000 feet—the patchwork quilt of green land below and the rows of white clouds that look like freshly furrowed fields—is mesmerizing. And you get a tiny bag of pretzels (that contains exactly 11.5 pieces of salty goodness) to boot!

King David had it right when he wrote: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge” (Psalm 19:1-2).

Imagine if David had the chance to fly. I’m sure he would have penned a few more Psalms about the wonders he saw.  Maybe something like this:

From 30,000 feet I sing thy praise!

Your love rises higher than the clouds.

The babe that cries in front of me,

And the child who kicks the back of my seat

All proclaim the wonders of your handiwork.

While my gaze is usually set on the sights outside the window, I’m always surprised by the people who immediately slide down the plastic window shade and read or take a nap. God’s glorious creation is just a glimpse away, and they ignore it.

Think of all the great minds through the ages who never had the opportunity to see the earth from 30,000 feet—Shakespeare, Galileo, Lincoln—they were all anchored to this earth.

Death was Shakespeare’s only opportunity to “shuffle off this mortal coil.”

But as much as I like looking out of the window, I usually do end up getting distracted. There’s the discomfort of cramming my 6-foot-3 frame into a seat designed for normal-sized people, crying babies, trying to balance a plastic cup of Coke on a tiny lap table and the ever-present worry of missing a connecting flight. Then there’s SkyMall magazine, which is full of things I never knew I needed, like the marshmallow shooter, the “keep your distance” bug vacuum and the pop-up hot dog cooker (which looks very much like a toaster).

Yet the heavens continue to declare His glory whether I’m looking or not. We can shut the plastic window shade or take a nap, but God still is all around us, and we are to declare His glory.

Psalm 34:1 says, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.”

Always, not just at church on Sunday mornings. That’s a big assignment, especially since I sometimes lose focus in worship services, thinking about what’s for lunch or watching the guitarist play. A distracted mind is the enemy of praise.

But the sky is a constant reminder of the greatness of God.  All of us spend some part of our days outside—whether walking into work or getting the mail. This week, take that moment to look up and join the chorus of the skies in proclaiming His glory.

Everyone is welcome.