Have you ever experienced a sudden flash of awe, a burning in your heart? Almost like you were being touched by something much greater than yourself? Maybe it felt like an epiphany of the spirit? I felt that this weekend while driving up the canyon to a family reunion at Bear Lake. The mountains were solid pillars of majesty all around us and every once in a while we would catch a dazzling blue glimmer of the approaching lake. I felt a peace settle over me that I didn't even realize was missing.
Usually that is a feeling I experience when praying or when listening to edifying music. It feels like I'm being touched by the finger of God. I know that it is the Holy Ghost testifying of my Heavenly Father's love for me. I remember an old friend at Interlochen Arts Academy telling me that he knew there was a God because he could see his hand in the beauty and diversity of the natural world. Now I understand what he meant by that.
It's been a long time since I've driven out beyond the bustle and man-made aesthetic of tradition civilization. I'm grateful that I was able to go this weekend. And I'm grateful now to know that it's still out there. There's still a place I can go to where there is almost nothing interfering with the awe-inspiring simplicity of God's creation.
Monday, August 18, 2008
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2 comments:
That is a lot how I felt in North Dakota. There were just tons and tons and tons of plants. Granted most of them were part of agriculture, but there is a beauty in agriculture that we lack in our cities and suburbia. I love things that stand as pillars - I love the mountains in Utah to help me feel close to the Lord. I love the forests in Maryland, and I loved the grassy plains in North Dakota. That is one of my big struggles here in Texas...that I live in the middle of miles of concrete, with only the manicured trees and shrubs that do not contain God's beauty unrestrained in the form of real nature.
Yes, I have also felt this way. I live in a rural area and am constantly amazed by the natural beauty that surrounds me. It is always a testiomny to me of a loving Heavenly Father who has created such a beautiful world for us.
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