Hospitality In Creation: Amicolala Falls

A bunch of strangers all made plans to get in their vehicles, make the trek to the Falls and the hike up to see them.

And there we stood, gazing at the Falls, smiling at one another, taking photos for each other.

For us it meant driving 90 minutes, packing extra snacks for the kids (…and me, let’s be real), risking missing nap time and overtired babies who are cranky all so we could….

Gaze at the beauty.
The majesty.
The wonder.

And we weren’t alone. So many others did, too.

I think it was so we could hear it. Hear the story. Psalm 19 says that creation makes declarations, that it speaks, yet without words. I think that’s what we were all there for, even if we didn’t realize it.

Beauty points to Hope. And I think maybe that is what we were sensing as the tensions we held slowly dissipated with each moment beholding the beauty. We, the onlookers, couldn’t help but smile at each other, as our souls seemed to become more cognization of the Creator as we stared at the majestic falls.

Yes, I think as our eyes looked onward, our spirits were experiencing something far deeper. They were being touched in an indescribable way.

I think of the many hospitable acts God has done for you, me, us, and creation is near top of my list. Upon our first cries, our first inhale of breath when we reach the outside world, no longer protected by our mother’s wombs but instead breathing, seeing, experiencing something frighteningly different and new, and yet this. These Falls here are just one example of the beauty we get to behold after we make the frightening journey out of our safe place.

And this beauty is telling us a story. The story of the One. It’s a reminder that all hope is not lost. In fact, Hope is who created it in the first place. The Falls bear witness to the Creator, the Almighty God who spoke a word and it was so. I still marvel that God made a place for a us. But He did. He delighted in it, too.

So in response, may we be captivated by beauty that points to Hope, seeking to make and share it with others. May we stop and gaze in adoration, paying attention to what is around us and delighting in it. And may we praise Him who is worthy, and join all of creation as we look onward to the glorious day when all will be made new.