Exhausted from a sleepless night rolling around on a hard, cold, uneven ground, I head out to find a a place to think, read, pray, and maybe even slip into a much needed alpine siesta. I’m in the rocky mountains. I’ve been here in this majestic environment for 3 days now, and will remain here for 3 more. It’s truly stunning to step out of your tent surrounded by evergreen trees each morning, and look up to see…

Sorry, I had to stop writing because the seemingly ritualistic afternoon thunderstorm just rolled through and soaked my journal… I had to take cover.

It’s surreal to be in a place where with every waking moment, I am witness to the breathtaking beauty of God Himself. I find myself in places that few people have gone, and seen sights few people will ever see. The world looks different from 13,000 feet. Be it the rocky, snow capped peaks, the powerful afternoon lightning storms, or the gentle, steady purr of the river, the wonder that surrounds me is almost too much to handle.

Each night the group of guys I am up here with gather to laugh, share stories and worship our creator. We go around passionately sharing how God wrote on each of our hearts that day through His creation. The creative imagination of our God is truly astounding, and the opportunity I have been given to drench myself in it for 6 days is an incredible gift.

Today, Amidst the incomprehensible beauty, my heart and soul are distracted from the epic mountains scape and pulled in another direction. There is a simple reality haunting me, even keeping me from enjoying such splendor. As amazing as this all is,

This is not the pinnacle of God’s creative works.

As undeniably gorgeous as it all is, when our Father looks down from heaven, rubbing his hands together, smiling ear to ear, like a little kid in a candy story, he isn’t looking at the mountains. God’s pride and joy is not the babbling brook, or the sky scraping evergreens. It is also not the majestic ocean waves, or the brilliance of a midwest sunset.

When God looks down, heart swelling with pride over all He has made…

He is looking at ME.
He is looking at YOU.
He is looking at the clerk at your local Wal Mart, the gas station attendant down the street, the stock broker in New York City, and the prostitute rising from the bed of another John after a long night in a big city.

Of all the mind blowing beauty in this world, carefully crafted and sustained by our creator, only one aspect of that creation holds the keys to our Savior’s heart. Only one aspect stirs up divinely passionate emotions.

PEOPLE.

People of all walks of life, all shapes, sizes and colors. It occurs to me as I stare into the splendor that surrounds me… I don’t need to climb a 13,000 foot mountain to experience the most awe inspiring aspect of God’s creation. It is all around me every day. The very DNA, the fingerprints, the image of God, written into every human being that has ever, and will ever breathe life on this planet. The truth… All that surrounds me, pales in comparison to the value and beauty of a single human life.

On this adventure, I have been daily challenged to soak up every second of the majesty we are surround by, and believe me, I plan to, but ultimately my sense is that to revel in the glory that is here, and ignore the beauty that surrounds me daily, on the streets of my city would not only be tragic, but would miss the point of God’s creative design altogether.

Lord, teach my heart to see your fingerprints on the hearts of Every person that I ever encounter. May my heart be drawn to worship when I look into the eyes of the hurting, broken and abused. May I see you in my enemies face, and your heart in my persecutors words. God, I want people to inspire my worship above every other aspect of your creation. I want those, who you have so fearfully and wonderfully made to consume all my passions and daily steal my heart. For your glory.