One of the things I hated most about Sams was the "retail curse" of an ever changing schedule and the lack of weekends off. I missed untold events from family birthday parties to church retreats to such mundane things as hockey games because retail scheduling by its nature forces you to work when the vast majority of people are off. My commitment in this time of freedom has been to engage in as many of these activities that I was inhibited from before and have been so blessed by it. Simple things such as getting coffee with friends on a Saturday to spending a weekend with family in Estes Park have made a huge step in filling in the missing times I experienced while working. And in all of these things I have been astounded by this simple truth that I know I over looked too many times: The all-surpassing Glory of God.
The weekend I spent with family in Rocky Mountain National Park really began this realization. I could write for hours on the majesty of elk and the beauty I see in them and the haunting song an elk bugling plays in my soul, but what struck me most that trip was the grandeur of the mountains. On Friday afternoon the weather was perfect and after lunch I took my Bible out to a deck by our cabin and began reading. The Big Thompson river rambled on steady down the hill below me, the sun cast its warming rays over me and Longs Peak stood jagged against the skyline rising defiantly over the foothills nearer the cabin. I would agree there probably isn't a bad place to read Gods Word, but I argue there isn't a better place. That morning we had hiked up to Dream Lake to fish and I had hiked up further to Emerald Lake. Emerald lake is nestled in a glacial basin, fed by a tiny waterfall of snowmelt that falls down a sheer rock wall a hundred feet to the lake. Towering to the left is a monstrous rock face, rising abruptly out of the loose scree a thousand feet straight up. Jagged spires rise to the right, dangerous yet invitingly beautiful. It was here that I was struck with the full force of Gods glory. In this place I could feel my insignificance. A tiny man, not even six feet tall I was surrounded by giant monoliths of rock and snow. My heart couldn't help but quake at the glory of Gods creation. Yet a small whisper filled my soul, a resounding truth echoed through me; "You can bring me greater glory than all this". Yes, Gods creation is magnificent and awe-inspiring. But He has chosen us, you, me, to bring Him glory. His power to create the wonders our eyes behold and our senses experience in the mountains and wild places bring him immense glory. But I testify to His ability to redeem a sinful man such as me, to change and mold my heart to worship Him should bring Him infinite more glory!
Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.
