JanBeek

Sometimes we are so busy with our “To Do” lists that we forget to take a break. And when we do heed the nudgings and step away from all those tasks for a day or two, the rewards are so great that we wonder, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”

Our interim pastor, Brian Conklin, did just that this week. The results of his “break” was a beautiful article for our July newsletter. I am delighted to share that article with you here. Enjoy!

Reflections on Psalm 8:3–5

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is mankind that you are mindful of them,

human beings that you care for them?”

—Psalm 8:3–4

I spent the first day of July winding my way up Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park—awestruck by the mountains, shaped by glaciers over hundreds of thousands of years. Honestly, the only reason I made the trip was because friends were visiting from out of state. Like many of us, I had a full list of things keeping me tethered to home in Ennis: dogs to feed, a lawn to mow, a garden to water, an overdue article to write, and a Sunday service to prepare for. A trip to Glacier felt impractical—out of the question, really.

Once again, I had placed myself at the center of my universe, absorbed in my own schedule and priorities. But I had made a promise—and so, I went.

It took less than five minutes inside the park for everything to shift. My eyes lifted from my to-do list to the towering peaks above me. With every mile we climbed, my world grew smaller. The grandeur of creation was overwhelming—humbling in the best way.

At Logan Pass, we hiked through lingering fields of snow toward Hidden Lake Overlook. Along the way, we passed a herd of bighorn sheep, spotted a grizzly below, and watched in amazement as a mother mountain goat and her newborn walked straight down the trail toward us—so close I could’ve reached out and touched them. I stood frozen, breathless with wonder.

That hike filled me with awe and clarity. It made me stop and remember the words of the psalmist:

“What is man, that you are mindful of him?”

To stand surrounded by so much beauty, so much power—wild, ancient, and untouched—and to believe that the Creator of all this is also mindful of me? It’s almost too much to comprehend. I felt small, yes—but also cherished. Insignificant and yet beloved.

My priorities? My worries? They suddenly seemed like paper boats in a vast ocean.

It’s sobering to think it takes this much grandeur to lift my head. How easily I become consumed with my own concerns and forget that the world does not revolve around me. How easily I forget who I belong to.

I’m grateful for the reminders—whether from mountain peaks or quiet whispers—that the God who shaped the stars also holds us close to His heart. When we lose sight of that, our days fill with noise and urgency. But when we remember, everything shifts into perspective.

Henri Nouwen once wrote:

“You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests…

That truth will set you free to receive the beauty of nature and culture in gratitude, as a sign of your Belovedness…

But that truth will also allow you to let go of what distracts you, confuses you and puts in jeopardy the life of the Spirit within you.”

So let us lift our eyes. Let us marvel at the works of His hands. And let us walk through this life—humbled by the majesty around us, but confident in the love that holds us fast.

Regards,
Brian Conklin

Thank you, Brian, for taking a break, and for sharing those lovely insights with us! I’m so glad you and your wife, Dawn, are a part of our church family! What a blessing!!

My WordPress friends, what “break” have you taken lately? And how did it affect you?

Love,
JanBeek

Hugs from Bob & me!