I love the vastness of creation and I live to search it out. I believe it’s one of the greatest gifts God has given us here on earth — an invitation to discover all that He is through what He has made. There is something so pure and peaceful about surrounding yourself with the things that have stood the test of time — expressions of life that were here long before any of us.
My childhood years ingrained in me a deep appreciation and longing to unplug from distraction and focus on what was directly in front of me. I am an advocate for living in the present, and I purpose my heart to live each moment to its fullest capacity, no matter how painfully hard or overwhelmingly euphoric it may be.
Recently, I ventured with some close friends back to a place that is one of my fondest memories of home, Yosemite National Park. Although I now find myself in Redding, I make it a point to trek back to my roots on a regular basis. When I smell the trees and feel the wind on my skin, I am reminded to be thankful for where I have come from, but even more thankful for how far He’s brought me.
The giant rock faces that tower over me, and the open meadows that entice me to wander as I drive the valley floor, make my heart come alive like nothing else. It’s a road I’ve taken countless times over the years, but it still brings me to tears in a matter of seconds if I let it. The grandiose scenes I find around every corner whisper stories of power, force and intentionality. God made all of this – a wilderness that is endlessly searchable, dangerously large and filled with the most wild of sights…yet, He’s the same God who loves and looks after us every moment of every day.
“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20 (NLT)
That is what Yosemite means to me. A reminder to stop and feel and let my eyes fly towards the world He’s made right in front of me. To feel small in the midst of a creation much larger than myself, and let it speak to me of just how big He really is. To see such forces of nature standing tall, confident in what they were made to be and so effortlessly displaying the glory of God, somehow helps me to know that I can do just the same.
I encourage you today, wherever you might be, to make it an adventure. Give your whole heart to the moment, and know that His hand is in every detail of your small yet vastly significant life.