Things are not always what they seem

As I am packing bags for a trip up North, I’m reminded of a night in Massachusetts.

Mist surrounded us like a wet blanket and our hair puffed out like a bad poodle hairdo. I’m here to tell you the South doesn’t hold the whole bucket of water when it comes to humidity. This northern coast can ruin a good hair day in a matter of minutes.

With this weather it was an easy decision to park the car at the top of the hill, angling it to get the perfect view of the field and the scoreboard. The bleachers were now facing us and we had a whole new perspective of our home away from home, Spillane Field.

The sun was going down and the moon began rising over the back of the bleachers. It looked like a big gold discus in the sky. Harvest moon. Isn’t that a September thing?

We gave no thought to this being July, since we were in an area that sported Santa Claus on a float and elves throwing goodies in the same month. Patsy and I simply oohed and aaahed over the magnificent, flaming ball in the sky.

It was so spectacular I wanted others to share in our glorious view. I called a friend back in Mississippi who watches the game online. She said she spotted it and was amazed.

After a few pictures, we decided to “chase the moon.” There is a body of water behind the school where the field is located, and we knew we would have an award winning shot.

Singing all the “moon” songs we could think of we threw the car in reverse and headed out. “Moon River” and laughter flooded the car as we chased the great ball in the sky.

I hit the brakes, y’all. In stunned amazement we came up short of finding the moon. There was no moon. The architectural design of the school sported a huge parapet with a glass circle which caught the rays of the setting sun making it look just like the stinkin’ moon. We’d been had.

That’ll preach. Have you been chasing something that wasn’t even real? Have you spent time nursing a false hurt, an imagined slight? Maybe you’ve been chasing a dream of something or someone that you knew would make you whole.

All that sounds like “a bad moon rising.” God cannot lie. There is no shadow of turning with Him. He set eternity in our hearts and gave us hope in Christ. We are all like the woman at the well. There is a line in a song that says it, “Like the woman at the well, I was seeking, for things that could not satisfy — and then I heard my Savior speaking — draw from my well that never shall run dry.”

Next time I get a good look at the moon I’ll be singing a song I know is true, “I see the moon and the moon sees me. God bless the moon and God bless thee!” God loves us so much more than to the moon and back…His indescribable love for you is forever and ever…for real.

This story was originally published July 23, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Things are not always what they seem."