I have been to the mountains. Let me tell you the story. 

 

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.”   – John Muir, The Yosemite, 1912.

 

Psalm 90:1-2

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place[a]

    in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

    or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world,

    from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.

 

I have been to the mountains – Yosemite to be exact. John Muir, a naturalist, environmental philosopher and wilderness preservationist, was there before me and God wandered his creation, knowing all its forms present and to be, long before either of us. The three of us, in our time, looked and said, “It is good.” I add God is so good and John Muir captures the essence of nature so eloquently and what is noted as Moses prayer in Psalm 90 rocks out God’s omnipresence in the first two verses. My family has rested on this in hope, grief and joy in the days of our lives. 

Today we start a series of Yosemite reflections. Yes, my breath was taken away by the steepness of a pathway to a 2400 foot increase in elevation to reach the top of a beautiful cliff face waterfall, taken away even walking after that first hike, but taken away also by the presence of God everywhere, everywhere. And yes, taken away by the time spent with two of my children Drew and Steph as well as the gracious and kind presence of Drew’s girlfriend Joanna. (at times I thought she was the only one with a kind soul while we were engaged in hiking mode, I’m kinda jking )

While in Yosemite, we got to see one of the famous guards of the Yosemite valley – Half Dome. Below is the Yosemite non-denominational church on the valley floor. Beautiful! A special trip through history to climb the steps to the doors of the church and think of the people who have gathered in that building for over 150 years. Even in Yosemite where the space is grand beyond comprehension and the people seemed few and far between in December, there are Christians who faithfully gather to praise and serve God. 9:30 a.m. service every Sunday. 

To me, this church so placed is bedrock Yosemite – a strong foundation in God to be taken in by our eyes and breathed into our lungs which is enough to fill our souls. The strong rock foundations are ever near in this park as they surround you as you stand in the valley. 

You can’t escape it – the rock is either bare for you to see or just barely covered by hearty plants and moss that find their purchase and cling and grow with tenacity. We too can grow in those perhaps harsh conditions. We can! But for today, use that mind’s eye of yours to picture yourself walking in this place of such strength, a peaceful haven for you and your faith. If you have been to Yosemite, I hope you’re already there. 

In my mind, God laid His strength and everlasting presence bare in Yosemite to encourage us to walk on with purpose. Yes, maybe gasping for air and hurting with each micro-step but resilient and putting all our hope in the peace of God nevertheless. 

Our first hike wasn’t so bad, was it? I invite you to join me when we next set out to meet God in Yosemite. 

 

~Shauna Weil

A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC.