Pastor's corner: Explore the beauty God created

Over the last two weeks, I have spent a lot of hours following roads and paths as I drove 17 hours to Iowa and have hiked in state and national parks. Sometimes, the path was tediously straight, almost to the point of boredom, and at other times, there were unexpected and sharp harrowing turns where I couldn’t see what was coming around the bend. Sometimes the path was paved and other times it was gravel and rocks. Sometimes the light was shining down, almost blinding me, and other times it was so dark that it felt like I was driving into the abyss.

As my friend and I were hiking the other day, it seemed like the trail was going on forever. We passed someone heading back who gave us a word of encouragement, “You are almost there — it is so worth it!” Sometimes we need that reminder. The journey is hard. We don’t always know what is waiting for us on the other end. But it is worth it in the end. God is everywhere, all around us. When we are stuck in those dark tunnels and harrowing turns of life, we just have look around and remember that God is there.

The very first thing Scripture tells us is that God created the Heavens and the Earth. He saw that it was good. But the Word of God also tells us that God created human beings in God’s image, making us to reflect God’s nature and giving us responsibility over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and the earth itself. God created us to reflect God’s nature.

How remarkable is it when you look at the mountains and waterfalls in glacier national park, or the sunset over the prairie, or the wildflowers in Beaver Creek, or the glistening water at Flathead Lake that God also created one of you? He looked at the beauty of his creation and saw a place in it for each one of us. We are a necessary part of what our God of the Universe has created.

We are spoiled here in Montana. Beauty surrounds us. When we look around and behold this beauty, let us approach our God with awe and wonder, astonishment and admiration. We live in a world where information is readily available to us at our fingertips. But sometimes we need to just look at the creation around us and wonder — let the questions be unanswered, let there be silence, let the doubt stir in us.

Last night, I arrived at Glacier Presbyterian Camp at Flathead Lake, just in time to worship around the campfire with the campers. After we sang together, each camper was asked to reflect on where they had seen God that day. Many of their answers included in riding horses, spending time with each other, and singing together. So ask yourself, too, “where have I seen God today?”

The world is beautiful, God created it, go explore it!

——

The Rev. Maggie Lewis

First Presbyterian Church, Havre

Chinook Presbyterian Church