Seen and Known

“Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. 

— Jeremiah 23:24

For many LGBTQ+ people, the closet is not simply a place of secrecy. It can be a place of survival. Some remain closeted because they fear rejection from family, church, or community. Others may face threats to their safety, employment, housing, or relationships. Many LGBTQ+ Christians know this struggle all too well, carrying a part of themselves in silence while trying to remain faithful to God.

When people speak about coming out, they often present it as the only path to authenticity and freedom. While coming out can be a beautiful and life-giving experience, not everyone is in a position to do so. Every person’s circumstances are different, and no one should be judged for the decisions they make about their own safety and well-being.

What Jeremiah reminds us is that whether we are out, closeted, questioning, or somewhere in between, God sees us.

“Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” God is not speaking words of condemnation here. Rather, God is reminding us that there is nowhere we can go where God is absent. There is no hidden corner of our lives beyond God’s sight, care, and love.

The psalmist echoes this truth:

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7).

Even in our most private fears and struggles, God remains with us. God knows the parts of ourselves we share openly and the parts we guard closely. Nothing about us is hidden from God—not our hopes, our fears, our relationships, our questions, or our identity.

And what God sees, God loves.

Romans 8:38-39 reminds us:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers… will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Not even a closet can separate us from God’s love.

For those who have come out, God sees your courage.

For those who cannot come out, God sees your struggle.

For those who are still discerning what authenticity looks like in their lives, God sees your journey.

Jesus tells us that God knows us completely, even down to the number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). The God who knows us so intimately does not abandon us because others fail to understand us.

Whether you are publicly out or carrying your truth quietly for now, remember this: you are not invisible to God. You do not have to earn God’s love by being brave enough, outspoken enough, or visible enough. God’s love reaches you exactly where you are.

You are seen.

You are known.

You are loved.

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Hiking on the Fourth, anyone?

Moment of Zen: America the Beautiful

🇺🇸 🎇 Happy 250th! 🎆 🇺🇸

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The Bed Is Calling

Happy Independence Day weekend to all of my friends in the United States! I hope everyone has a safe, fun, and relaxing holiday, whether you’re spending it with family, watching fireworks, firing up the grill, or just enjoying a long weekend.

As for me, I’m taking full advantage of having the day off. Isabella has already made sure she got her breakfast, so my responsibilities for the morning are officially complete. Now my bed is calling, and I fully intend to answer. Sleeping in sounds like the perfect way to start the holiday weekend.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July! 🇺🇸 

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Fireworks, Family, and Summer Memories

Severe thunderstorms rolled through the area last night. I was afraid we’d lose electricity because it flickered several times. Between the thunder and the lightning, I didn’t sleep well and was awakened repeatedly until the storms finally moved on. The weatherman said this morning that there were nearly 23,000 lightning strikes in the area overnight. I’m just glad the worst of it is behind us. Unfortunately, we’re expecting another hot, humid, and sunny day today.

The good news is that this is my last workday of the week. We have tomorrow off for Independence Day. Since I didn’t mention it yesterday, Happy Belated Canada Day to my friends to the north!

For my friends here in the United States, do you have any plans for the Fourth of July?

Growing up, my family always celebrated with a big barbecue. We’d have ribs, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and enough side dishes and desserts to feed an army. My Grandmama would make fresh-squeezed lemonade, and sometime in the afternoon we’d either cut into a cold watermelon or churn homemade ice cream—sometimes both. Family would come from all over Alabama and Florida to spend the day together, and those who stayed the night would gather outside to shoot off fireworks after dark.

Those Fourth of July celebrations are some of my favorite summer memories.

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Beating the Heat

Vermont has largely been spared from the heat that has been affecting Europe and much of the rest of North America, but it seems summer has finally caught up with us. I hate the heat. It’s one of the reasons I love living in Vermont. I’d much rather be cold than hot and sweaty.

There’s an old saying among people who dislike hot weather: “You can always put on enough clothes to stay warm, but you can’t (legally) take off enough clothes to stay cool.” That’s only partly true in Vermont. Public nudity is actually legal here unless a municipality has an ordinance prohibiting it. Of course, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Besides, I think my neighbors would much rather see me fully clothed. The real Vermont solution is to head for the cold waters of Lake Champlain or one of our many beautiful mountain lakes, ponds, or rivers. Even on the hottest days, they’ll cool you off a lot faster than taking your clothes off.

Today’s forecast calls for a high of 96° in Burlington, with temperatures expected to reach 100° tomorrow. Add in the humidity, and the heat index—the “feels like” temperature—could range from 95° to 110° across parts of Vermont. That’s a level of heat we’re simply not accustomed to.

When I first moved to Vermont, I didn’t have an air conditioner, and those occasional hot spells could be downright miserable. I remember taking cold showers just to cool off enough to fall asleep. Thankfully, I have air conditioners now. I’m also grateful that I work in a climate-controlled museum, so I can spend much of the day somewhere cool, even when it’s sweltering outside.

If you’re dealing with this heat wave, stay hydrated, stay in the shade or air conditioning when you can, and most importantly, stay cool, everybody!

😎

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