Lingering

The hike in DuPont yesterday could not have been more perfect—ideal weather, smooth trails, gorgeous waterfalls, and great company! Actually, it might have been more perfect without the bikers, who caused us to abandon the path at regular intervals to allow them to whir past. Once, as I scrambled to a safe spot off trail to await the passage of a larger group, I was steeped in the most glorious moment. The coolness of the earth was still lingering around my legs, but the sun was filtering through the trees, and its warmth settled on my cheeks. I closed my eyes and breathed in the smell of damp earth and leaf litter. A soft breeze with distinct intermingled currents of warmth and coolness tickled my skin. I smiled. It is in those moments when I can remove myself from the fray and linger for a time in the presence of the beauty of life that I feel closest to God. Praise and thankfulness flow unabashedly from those places. John Piper says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” If that is the case, in addition to being a very spoiled child of God, I am a veritable sunbeam of His glory when I stop and embrace the beauty of His creation.