“At this also my heart trembles, and leaps from its place.” Job 37:1
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| Haystack Rock, off Cannon Beach, Oregon |
Well I’m back from the coast of Oregon. You can’t get much more different in scenery than the high desert of Arizona to the rocky coast of the Pacific Northwest! And yet, I looked out over my back porch this morning and was just as awestruck by the tall, majestic mountains of the desert as I was when I caught my first glance of the large stones jutting from the Pacific shoreline, sending sprays of ocean mist into the air.
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| Looking across the high desert of southern Arizona, where I live |
Ah, the majesty and glory of our God’s magnificent creation!
I sat for just a while this past weekend on an Adirondack chair facing the ocean while the soft breeze cooled me from a run on the beach. It was mid-afternoon, and families had turned out on this unusually sunny day in Oregon to soak up the warmth and joy of the day on the coast.
I let my pulse return to normal while I studied lovely, young children filling sand buckets with treasures, dogs trotting freely through the shallow tide, couples walking hand in hand, and other runners jogging easily along the spongy, wet shore. I could hear laughter and barking dogs and the sweet squawk of sea gulls and children conspiring. Kites were soaring and water was spraying against the rocks and waves were crashing high in the far distance.
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| Kim and I hiking along the coast of Oregon. We had almost a whole free day to explore and it was gloriously beautiful! |
And I thought to myself, this is what God created…beauty and laughter and joy and fun and love. Our world is filled now with trouble and worry and dissonance and angry voices and pain because of sin. But this, this sweet world I viewed from my little perch, this is what God created.
And, oh, He did a mighty fine thing indeed. What a beautiful world He made for us! Praise the Lord! He is good. He is marvelous in all ways. He is an intelligent and masterful and awesome Creator.
And whether you live in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, the high desert, the rolling hills, the deep valley, the plains or somewhere in between…as most of us do…He deserves our praise. For the beauty of the Lord is out there to be beheld.
I encourage you, make every effort you can to venture out into some new and beautiful place this year. See the beauty of His world. Enjoy it. Run through it. Listen to it. Take it in. Breathe it. Sit and stare at it.
Where have you been recently that has caused your heart to tremble and leap from its place?
It was a much smaller moment – but one as profound for me. This past weekend we ventured to east Texas woodlands at my Mother-in-love's place. We were there to "bless" her by clearing some trails and paths, tending to brush and broken trees, and cleaning mountains of leaves from around her place. I was excited on the way because I knew this city gal would get to drive a small tractor most of the day and there is nothing more satisfying that getting to survey the results of hard labor after a long day. We arrived late the night before. When unloading the car, my husband and I suddenly found ourselves stock still, side by side, staring up in silence at a midnight sky glittered with sparkles of stars. We almost couldn't breath, we couldn't speak, we could only star in wonder at the beauty of a night sky. It wasn't enough for our God to create a habitation for us with incomparable beauty. He gave us the heavens above to declare His glory as well. Guess you know who really got the blessing this weekend….
Thanks for sharing your sweet, holy moment Lauri. The majesty and glory of the Lord! Amen and amen!
I live about 90 minutes from the beach depending on which one you head to, and sometimes it is less than that time. We will often go to the beach for an evening dinner and then walk before heading home in the summer. I would love a condo there. We go to a Christian campground near haystack rock. It is beautiful I am glad you enjoyed your Oregon coast vacation.
Thanks you so much! And yes, I did enjoy it. I'm a little envious!