Whales and Eagles and Sunsets…oh my!

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. Psalm 148:13 NIV 

 

We’re baaaaack.

 

 

Alaska was wonderful!

 

If you missed it a few weeks ago, I mentioned that my husband and I were heading to Alaska on a “bucket list” cruise.  We had such a great time.  It was hard to return.

 

I also mentioned that we were set to go dog sledding on top of a glacier.

Here come the boos…

We didn’t get to do that excursion. The cloud cover was too low and the helicopters couldn’t fly.  (Cue the pouty lips.)  We were looking forward to a once in a lifetime experience but it didn’t happen.  However, the day actually turned out to be one of our best. We hiked and explored in areas that were breath-taking.

 

I cannot come close to explaining the beauty of Alaska to you.  Sure, I’ve attached a few snapshots of moments in time to view, but they can’t explain what these eyes saw.

 

…the magnificence of God.

More than once, we stood and thought of His making.

 

“God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.” John 1:3 NLV.

 

The Apostle John was right!  God created everything. And John had never been to Alaska! (or California, or Nebraska, or New York, or anywhere else on our continent for that matter). Yet he penned the words that we all too often forget.  The beauties, the wonders, the amazing sights were made by a mere wisp of God’s hand. And it is all in order.  Places of cold, places of heat, places of arid climates and places of constant rain.  His world is in perfect order.

 

I thought of how from the beginning of time, we humans have tried our best to describe God, His creation, and even Heaven.  John was called upon in the book of Revelation to describe to us mere mortals what Heaven looks like and what he saw when Jesus took him on a tour.  He tried in vain to describe the Throne of God.

 

“The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones–like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.” Rev 4:3 NLT

 

Moses did his best, in the book of Exodus, of putting visions to words after hanging out with God.

 

“and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.” Exodus 24:10 NASB

 

So can I do any better of mere landscapes, wildlife and sunsets?  I think not.

We so get into routines in our lives that we miss the beauty of God’s creation all around us—don’t we?  Sure, traveling to distant, unfamiliar lands evokes a sense of awe, but truly our own backyards are full of God’s mighty works, too.  It is up to US to see all of creation as a product of His handiwork.  I, for one, believe we enter a state of gratitude and humility when we look in wonder of all that is around us.

 

We’re smack dab in the middle of the summer travel season.  I pray for safe travels for all of you who are venturing out.  And to those that are staying close to home this year, I pray that your views of the beauty around you are renewed.  He may have made the Grand Glaciers, but remember he also made the small blades of grass.

I would love to hear of your summer vacation and God’s creation you saw…whether near or far.   Leave a comment or send me an email. Really–I’d love to hear about it!