Walking - Day 12

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.

Oh, the earth cannot help but proclaim the greatness of our God.  Very naturally (pun intended), the earth calls out the creativity and majesty of the creator God.  Without effort, the birds and animals point us to the heavens.  Without doing any work, the rocks, and trees, and waterfalls, direct our attention to a designer.  The world sings the praises of an amazing artist by causing us to look closely in awe and wonder.

It has been 12 days of walking now, and every day is different, and every day is sweeter.  The slow pace, the pausing for reflection, the focus on God and His glory have all been wonderful for me.  Today was no different, but again I was joined by my lovely wife. 

We went out to dinner at the Café on the Corner (atop Lookout Mountain) and then took a short drive to the parking area for Glen Falls.  We had never been there before – and it was not disappointing.  We walked down the half mile trail to the small pool and the falls that fed it.  The sounds of the waterfalls, the birds, and the wind through the trees made our stay there very enjoyable.

We eventually found a spot and made it our resting area.  We stayed for about 30 minutes or so, but we really did not want to leave.

Psalm 100 says, “Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.”  It is so easy to do this when you are sitting at a waterfall, resting with the one you love.  It is so easy to be reminded of His enduring love and faithfulness when things seem like they cannot get any better – when life is “good”.

I was reminded of Steven Curtis Chapman’s song, “The Mountain” while I was there.  I would have loved to stay in that moment for the rest of my life, but we both knew that we needed to head back to “real life”.  God is always good – in the valley, in the pain, in the heartache, in the difficulties of life…  But the mountain experiences remind us of His Goodness!

God, thank you for your faithfulness and love, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to see it on the mountain.  Help me to hold your hand tightly as I enter the valleys of life.