Camping in His Glory
Rain pounded the metal room of our pop-up tent as we relaxed inside to the comforting sound while we read. It’s that forced moment of rest that we all long for but fail to create in our busy schedules. (Click to Tweet)
After the summer monsoon passed, the pungent aroma of pine trees permeated the air. We stepped outside to a carpet of wet grass and wild brilliant daisies bursting forth from the soft ground. White clouds drifted across the blue skies as the setting sun peeked through the tops of the pines.
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- Mountain Daisies
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- Clear Skies after the Rains
Campers emerged from their temporary homes, checking awnings and wind-whipped tablecloths. A sense of community developed as neighbors reached out to make sure those in surrounding sites had fared well through the storm.
The comradery among otherwise strangers is one of the things I like about camping. (Tweet)
This friendliness drew us to share our neighbor’s campfire one evening for a special sing-along. While swirls of smoke curled through dusky evening skies, our voices raised in a chorus of praise to Jesus with people whose faces we’d never seen before and were partially clouded by that wonderfully scented smoke that arises from the burning logs. The evening was like a trip down memory lane as we sang hymns from the early days in our Christian walk when we were members of a special community in California. “Sing Alleluia to the Lord,” wafted on the brisk evening breeze along with “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God,” and “They will Know We are Christians by Our Love.”
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” 1John 1:7a NIV (Click to Tweet)
We walked back to our fabric home with warm hearts and toasty toes to tuck into our sleeping bags. Amazement at God’s orchestration of drawing hearts together filled our thoughts as we drifted off to sleep.
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- Hiking with Hubby
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- Just Relaxing
Short hikes through the woods and quiet afternoons only interrupted by bushy white-tailed squirrels and darting blue jays filled our days. Listening to the quiet was like hearing the rhythm of a classical sonata. Moments spread beneath the tall slender pines created wonder and praise for our Creator who crafted such beauty for us to enjoy.
These days spent breathing in refreshment and rest were capped by times shared with our friends from church who invited us to once again join them on this mountain-top campground. Shared dinners, laughter that multiplied with whimsical family stories, games of frisbee horseshoes, and an evening movie strengthened our bond of friendship and Christian love. Even forgetting at home the meal we were one evening was greeted with understanding and an abundance of food from our friends with supplements from a quick trip into town.
Blessings abounded on the mountaintop. Now we have rich memories to color our every-day moments of life back down in the valley.
“O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you…The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.” Psalm 89: 8, 11 NIV
Where have you seen the Lord’s glory this week?
From My Heart To Yours,
Linking with Sunday Stillness, Monday Musings, Playdates with God, Tell Me A Story, Soli Deo Gloria, Winsome Wednesday, Word-Filled Wednesday, The Beauty in His Grip, The Friday Five
What a wonderful time that must have been–to be in nature and praising God!!!
Mary~it really was wonderful! I see God so much in His creation but the special blessing this time was the Christian neighbors He planted next to us. To sing praise music with brothers- and sisters-in-the-Lord whom we’ve never met and feel the oneness was truly a heavenly experience. Thanks for stopping by.
From My Heart to Yours, Janis
Oh, how I know the blessings of camping! You have captured so well the moments, the sights and smells, and the wonderful rest that happens when we immerse ourselves in the symphony of God’s creation.
Where have I seen the Lord’s glory this week? I have seen it in His Word, in a devotional that reached out and grabbed my heart, and somehow stilled the unruly turmoil that was gripping me.
GOD BLESS!
Hi Sharon! What JOY to hear that God has stilled the turmoil and anxiety. I’m rejoicing in the devotional He provided to give you that peace.
God bless you, my friend!
Janis
Janis, I so enjoyed that you took me camping 🙂 I have never camped. Not ever. And so I appreciated experiencing it through your eyes – both in words & photos. So glad you had such a wonderful time. Blessings!
It has been a long time since we camped, but now a days, I do not pine for the joy of roughing it. The sing a longs would be fun with total strangers. Thank you for sharing your lovely post with us here at “Tell Me a Story.” At: http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/
What a wonderful time of refreshment and fellowship, enjoying the glory of God’s creation! Your post and photos make me feel as if I were there with you! Thanks for commenting on Saved by Grace, & God bless you & your family.
Thank you, Lisa Nickerson and Mary Doshay!
So glad I found your blog through Essential Devotions – You paint a picture as you write which transported me to the forest – I love the smell of rain soaked pine. What a wonderful reminder of God’s glory all around us and being aware of where he places us because you never know when those God appointments will happen. Thank you 🙂
I’m like Joanne I have never been camping but your vivid description brings the scene alive. Although I don’t know if I could stand being out with being out in the wild with the creepy crawlers…lol. Otherwise the trip sounds quite refreshing.
Thank you Janis. I have so many fond memories of camping. And have seen so many of God’s wonders in his creation. God bless your day.
Janis, you make me want to pack up the car and head to the woods… Although logistically it will be a bit more complicated now that we have a tiny human to cart along 🙂 Beautiful and inspiring words here- so glad I stopped by from SDG. Blessings!
Janis, we are ‘neighbors’ at SDG this week. I’m so glad Istopped by your virtual ‘campground.’ We haven’t been camping for so long, this brought back some great memories.
Oh, your post brings back memories of our camping days when our kids were younger – we loved those days when we camped as a family with our pop-up camper! The closest we have come to it in recent days is when my hubby and I stayed in a camping cabin (just last week!) to celebrate our 43rd anniversary, which was also so memorable – we loved that time together out in God’s beautiful nature. Your time camping sounded wonderful!