“Where were you when I established the earth? … Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst from the womb, when I made the cloud its garment and total darkness its blanket, when I determined its boundaries and put its bars and doors in place, when I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther; your proud waves stop here’?” –Job 38:4, 8-11

Overwhelmed with beauty and awe. That is what I felt when I beheld the view captured in the above image. This past week was a reset for me. Escaping the demands of everyday life with my son and my mother was needed in more ways than I even realized. I know, I know. I, too, like the quotes that encourage creating a life from which you don’t need to escape. But sometimes, the soul needs a recharge and a refresh. A time to contemplate life and what changes should be made, what should remain the same. A time to allow ourselves a break and not feel responsible for everything and everyone. A time for our souls to engage with God in a way that we don’t always get to within our daily environments. To break the routine and cycle where we occasionally find ourselves stuck in a rut.

Alas, Maine and Acadia National Park. I love the mountains and hiking. I love the ocean. I love the awe I feel when I observe the beauty of God’s creation all around me and am reminded of what an amazing artist our God is and how He created beauty. He was the original artist. God loves beautiful things. When He created the earth, His fingerprints were all over it. He tells us so much about Himself through His creation.

As I hiked in Acadia, the smell of evergreen trees surrounded me, the views were indescribable, and I could hear through the forest the waves crashing against the shore and the rocks. Could there be a more magnificent place than this? I heard God whisper to my soul as I trekked through the rocks and trees to behold it, to behold Him. It’s so easy to get caught up in the details, monotony, worries, and concerns of everyday life and to forget that God is in control. I know this on a spiritual and even intellectual level. Yet, at times, the mental and emotional parts of me can take over, and I forget to zoom out and acknowledge that God’s got it.

Once upon a time ago, I mistakenly thought that by God having it, then I wouldn’t have to deal with it. Granted, it was a bit more complex than what I just simplified it to be, but that was the basic, faulty premise of my understanding. That made me feel safe and shielded. But not safe and shielded from the hard or difficult things. No, as I have grown and matured as a follower of Christ, I have come to understand God’s covering, protection, and safety amidst whatever gets tossed my way.

The same God who created the trees lining my path and the same God who created the ocean waves pounding the rocks and shore is the exact same God who intimately cares about the details of my everyday life. More than that, He is the God who has placed me exactly where I am in life. He chose the times and place where I would live. He is in control. He is sovereign. And He is good. He is the God who called Abraham to a place He would show him. He is the God of David. He is the God who has always been and always will be. When we lose sight of who God is, how big He is, and how much He cares and loves us, our view and perspective on life can grow warped and distorted. We begin to feel like it is all dependent on us for things to get done or to happen. We carry the stress and burdens and worries when God says to place them on His shoulders to carry.

My soul was singing praises to God for His creation as I could barely breathe in all of it. He reminded me that He wants me to share my thoughts, opinions, hurts, sins, complaints, worries, doubts, successes, fears, failures, dreams, and even streams of consciousness with Him. To entrust them to Him. When I release my grasp on them and place these into His hands, I begin to experience this peace. My soul is flooded with confidence, security, and safety because my God is big enough to handle what comes my way. I may not see through to the other side, but nothing impairs or blocks His vision. He sees. He knows. And that can be enough for me.

God is so impressing upon me the desire for a deep faith and trust in Him this summer. My mind initially wants to fear the worst, expecting bad things because that is often how faith grows. Yet, that’s not quite what God is after with my heart right now. We are working on daily surrender and trust–letting things go and surrendering them to Him. In the smallest of things and portions of my day. In the things I cannot change right now. In the new paths my life will take in the coming weeks and months. In what will remain the same. In the unknown and the known.

Even now, I am experiencing the joy and the blessing of His presence and His peace as I lean closer into Him. My prayer life is deepening. My contentedness is growing roots. My escape to Acadia drew me closer to the heart of God, where He whispered to my soul, “Drink deep of me. Behold the beauty of my creation. Delight in me and my creation. Delight in my presence. Release it all to me. Slow down. Live. Disconnect from what pulls you further from me. I am enough for you.” My soul soars at the nearness of Jesus. This summer is a slowing down summer. A summer of saturating myself in Jesus. A satisfying salve to my thirsty and weary soul. Slow down. Show up. Live. Go outside. Behold Jesus!

I am thankful that God made a way for this experience. Not everyone has it in their summer plans to be able to escape. We are not guaranteed tomorrow so what we do today matters. Our phones are robbing us of looking up and looking around. However, we each have the ability to step outside and sit in nature. To bask in the beauty of God’s creation. To observe His indescribable artistry. We each are able to draw near to the heart of God in some way.

We choose how to spend our days and our time. What will you choose? I challenge each of us to commit to spending at least 15 minutes each day outside in nature in some way without a cell phone for the remainder of the summer. Commune with God and just be, just bask in His presence. As you lean into Jesus, internal peace will flourish, and happiness and joy will abound.

Blessings!