Last week me and my family traveled to Arizona and Utah for Spring Break. It was beautiful. I read two books, slept, splashed in a pool with my little sister, ate pizza and enchiladas and had a three hour conversation about heaven with my parents.
I knew it would be a good time of rest, but I didn’t realize how much my soul needed a break. Not only from the busy routine of school and work, but a break from my home, my mindset, and my environment.
Last week I trekked through the wonder of the Grand Canyon and the majesty of Zion National Park.
I beheld Gods glory in his creation afresh.
And I found peace in my smallness.
If you’ve ever seen the Grand Canyon, you know what I mean. The Park is bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island. Layers of red, purple, green, gray, white and yellow rocks line her walls like the strokes of a paintbrush. Her cliffs are deeper than a mile and stand like temples in the sky. From wherever you venture along or in her rim, all you see for miles upon miles upon miles is gorge after gorge and rock after rock, with the Colorado river racing through her midst.
Seeing this place for the first time reminded me of seeing the ocean for the first time. The expanse of the Canyon was breathtaking, and I couldn’t stop staring.
At the end of our first day at the Canyon we hiked to Hopi Point on the Northern Rim, and settled down on a ledge to watch the sunset.
As we waited and the sky began to fall asleep, I was overwhelmed by the presence of the Creator. The words of one of my favorite verses washed over me,
“Be still and Know that I am God.” -Psalm 46:10
I sat there on that ledge realizing if I slipped into the canyon, I would die. Just as you feel standing before the ocean, I became aware of my smallness and the insignificance of my strength and power compared to the forces of the weighty rocks and deep caverns. The majesty and magnitude of this one amazing piece of the earth left me breathless because I understood that it was only a pale comparison to the majesty and magnitude of my God. The realization left me awestruck.
Yet the feeling of utter smallness did not leave me hopeless. Rather I felt a peace that I hadn’t felt for quite some time. I understood on that rocky ledge, that my frailty as a human does not give me cause to despair, rather, my smallness only highlights the greatness of my God.
Over and over in scripture, we are reminded of the vastness of our Creator:
“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” -Colossians 1:16
“You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” -Nehemiah 9:6
“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” -Psalm 90:2
“Then Jesus rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the disciples marveled, saying, “Who is this man, that even the winds and sea obey him?” -Matthew 8:26-27
Watching the sunset over the Grand Canyon, I wanted to proclaim as the psalmist did,
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” -Psalm 8:3-4
When you behold the magnitude of Gods power and beauty, you realize the smallness of your own. But the God who streaks the sky with lightning, and calms the oceans with the sound of his voice, is not a God far off.
He has all the hairs on our head numbered. He knits us and knows us in our mothers womb. He plans our days before they even begin. He came to this earth as a human to die for us and redeem us from sin. He loves us.
Surely we can trust this God. We can have peace, even comfort standing before the Grand Canyon or the Pacific Ocean, or Mt. Rainier, or wherever you’ve traveled and felt his mighty presence. Because if he can carve out canyons and call the stars by name, and calm oceans, and tell the sun when to set and when to rise,
he can most certainly carve sin out of your life, and call forth beauty, and calm your anxiety and tell you when to rest and when to rise.
At the Grand Canyon, I became at peace with my smallness because I became lost in Gods greatness.
And that is my prayer for you today:
Behold your God.
Whether that means going on a hike this weekend, or diving deeper into scripture, or watching a BBC Earth, renew your mind with the depth of his goodness and beauty and power.
I know what its like to become so wrapped up in our schedules, our social lives, our goals, our education, our diets, our careers, and our communities, that we lose sight of Gods vastness. And we lose sight of our smallness.
In the light of who God is, we are nothing.
And yet He loves us.
He loves us.
Just like the Grand Canyon, that truth leaves me breathless.
Your article was both educational and thought-provoking. I especially enjoyed how you presented different perspectives on the topic and provided a well-reasoned argument. Your writing style is succinct and easy to understand, and you made the article engaging.