Happiness Doubled by Wonder by Emily Boulter
We wound deeper into the hills, into the folds of the mountains past Telluride. The earth ran wild with golden aspens that beckoned, inviting us inward.
So inward we went.
The dirt road wrapped us further and upward, a staircase into the spires surrounding us. It grew quiet, and the light turned soft—a glow that saturated the forest from within. We turned a corner—and there the landscape fell away into a sweeping symphony of color, of light turned holy.
There are moments in my life when I look up from my journey and I see and sense before me the presence of God. He is always smiling when this happens—dare I say laughing—and my soul is filled with an aching, overwhelming sense of holiness and peace—of the beautiful and humbling knowledge that I am home. It’s the stepping upon the threshold of the eternal I know we belong to. It’s a glimpse of the heavenly—of light, creation, and creature perfected.
God loves taking my breath straight out of my chest.
My God loves knowing me.
I think that is what strikes the heartstrings and fibers of my soul. My Creator knows me and the desires, delights of my being.
And he delights in sharing himself with us when we come before him with a posture of happiness drenched in wonder…when we come before him in thankfulness.
The mountains stood still, their solemn gaze walked the land with a protective fondness as if they knew their work was to shepherd what lay below them. The sun burst with a deeper hue, touching the earth with a gentleness that knows it may only be acknowledged by her Maker. She smiled at my Lord as she swayed into the horizon—the mother of the sky rocking the wilderness into the softer hours of the night.
My heart swelled beyond the capacity of its frame, and a tear fell from my happy, joy-soaked eyes. It is here in nature we are given the capacity to fully feel, to be alive as we were—as we were made to be. And we are brought to our heart’s knees in the woods, in the mountain-scapes of this world as we behold the goodness of our Maker.
What is it that gives mountains their holiness? Why do the creatures that patter and bound among the trees and rocks know of deeper things than we take time to understand?
I believe it is because they dwell in a posture of thankfulness to God.
When I stand upon mountaintops or wander my way down the trail…when I find myself in a moment of God’s fullness, I am filled with praise. I believe it is in gratitude, in a posture of humble thanksgiving to our God that we find he has always been near. He has always known. He has always been present. It is in praising him we find that we have all we need and ever will need. We are fulfilled.
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. he will teach us about his ways so we may walk in his paths.” (Micah 4:2 ESV)
We find that God is not only our Provider, he is our very Provision.
For even Christ thanked God for the seen and the unseen, and David bound his sorrows between the covers of praise.
Thankfulness, then, is an act of humility—a letting go of ownership and control. It is an act of faith and trust in God’s wisdom, love, justice, and faithfulness. And as the Author of love, the Source of Wisdom, and the Perfect Judge…does he not know what is best for our souls? Only the merciful compassion of our Creator would mold our hearts in such a way that what is due to God is transformed into a blessing upon us. For when we come before him in thankfulness, we are given the presence and peace of God. We remind the fabric of our souls of who it is we belong to and who it is that called us.
Gratitude strengthens our hearts.
“But each person will sit under his grapevine and under his fig tree with no one to frighten him.” (Micah 4:4 ESV)
Emily is a professional writer with a B.A. in English & Writing from Regent University. She has a deep passion for helping others through her writing and non-profit initiatives. Emily lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and can easily be found hiking, horseback riding, or reading in one of the local coffee shops. She shares her thoughts on mountains, faith, and the stories that shape us on her blog, Alpine Penned.