The highlands of Peru are breathtakingly beautiful.
Indeed, one is actually breathless in the altitude of the Andes mountains, but the landscape is also undeniably awe-inspiring.
Recently, I spent 10 days hiking in and around Cusco, Peru as well as trekking the ancient Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I told God, “I just want to see your glory in Peru. I want to find You there.”
It was amazing. I saw God everywhere! I found Him in the people I met and hiked with. I witnessed the symphony of His glory while backpacking through the mountains. The mountains shouted his majesty. The rushing streams shouted His name. The exquisite orchids, a black hummingbird, the peregrine falcon in its 180mph dive, the beautifully varied flora and fauna – it all shouted the glory of God! The stars, oh my lack of words. The stars declare glory to this great and awesome God. I’ve never in my life viewed the night sky at 13,000 ft, in air so pure and untainted that the milky way looks like a low floating bank of misty fog. The stars seem alive, sparkling and shimmering like diamonds on ink-black velvet. There is so much life out there in that vast night sky!
One morning we observed the sun rise over the mountain range. The entire sky was light, but the sun had not yet climbed above the mountains. Gradually, yet suddenly, the sun jumped above the mountain range and shone forth in all it’s strength and glory. I closed my eyes and felt it get brighter and brighter as it warmed my face. The sun shouts as it jumps into the sky.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
Psalm 65:8b
I saw Him in the incredible architecture of the 700-year-old Incan structures. These people turned the steep mountain sides into verdant terraced gardens whose structures remain unchanged. The precision of every single rock used to build the temples and homes of the Inca is unfathomable. It is still- and may never be completely understood- a mystery as to how they built those buildings. With no written language, the Inca possessed an understanding of the mountains, rock, fault lines and astronomy that defies our comprehension.
I see a tiny picture of the infinite wisdom and knowledge of God in this. How is this even possible? Yet, Machu Picchu exists. I see His glory there.
I got to experience the kindness, compassion and beauty of God through the people I met and hiked with. I only met 1 other believer, but I saw His image in all of the people whom I spent time with! What an honor to discover this. The vivacity, joy and love-of-humanity is only some of the Jesus I witnessed through this group of women. There was one member of the group who was experiencing difficulty on the trail – another of the group immediately took her backpack and carried it the rest of the day for her. Another time, one member had blisters on her feet that needed to be wrapped. Now mind you, it’d been 4 days since any of us had showered, and there’s a reason one’s nose is so far removed from the feet. In spite of this, Mendy knelt down, unlaced the boots, pulled the socks off, unwrapped the feet, cleaned them and rebandaged them for this gal. She then put the socks back on those sore feet and relaced the boots.
I witnessed Jesus in that act. I saw the image of God in Mendy.
Then I retuned home.
I joyfully held my family close and reveled in being home again.
In the following days and weeks, I buried myself in all the ‘to-dos’, the daily schedule, getting kids to and from school, teaching the ones at home, keeping the household running and everything else that moms usually do. Our evenings were consistently full of either coming, going or hosting.
Then I paused one day and said “Hey, where you been God? I haven’t seen you recently.”
I could almost feel Him smile as He answered my heart: “Hey girl, where YOU been? I’ve never moved – I’ve been here all along, watching you!”
“Yeah, but I haven’t been seeing You like I did when I was in Peru!”
I hear God chuckle. Then He said “I’m still here. The sun is still shouting my name. The mountains and the fields are still breaking forth in song. The trees and hills are clapping their hands. All of creation around you is shouting my praise. When you see joy, kindness, creativity and laughter in your children, that is Me. My image is within them. They are praising my name. I AM all around you. All of creation shouts glory to my name.”
He goes on to say: “Look for me. Find me. Because I AM before you, behind you, beside you, all around you.”
I nod quietly and understand that it matters not so much where I am, who I am with – as it does how I am there.
Am I fully present, living each moment alive to the glory of God?
Do I have eyes that see Him?
Do I have ears that hear all of creation shouting His praise?
Does my heart acknowledge the image of the Most High within the people around me? No matter who they are, no matter the labels, we have been created in His image. There is God-likeness within each one of us.
Do I see this? Do I treasure and rejoice in the revelation of His glory?
Because folks, it’s there. He is everywhere.
In closing, consider the opening line:
We see things not as they are, but as we are.
Look for Jesus this week, friend.
Find Him.
Listen and watch for all of creation shouting His glory.
Because it does! His glory reverberates throughout the earth.
Every single day.