Many years ago, my husband and I hiked on the Sulphur skyline trail (in Jasper National Park). I can’t forget the feeling of being overwhelmed by the beauty I was surrounded by at the top of the mountain. There are still no words I can use to describe what I saw. It was so great that it almost made me feel fearful. It was not a kind of fear that made me scared. Rather, I think it was more like respecting something bigger than I could imagine.
Since then, a mountain has been one of the special places in nature where I often think of God, who is beautiful and majestic. Near our home, there are some viewpoints where I can see glamorous mountain ranges. There is one specific spot I often go to and just gaze at the mountain ranges. I spend a while there quietly looking at the mountains, then leave. It keeps drawing me to be there.
I realized that my being there and looking at the mountains is prayer. If prayer is something that connects us with God and leads us to be in the presence of God, then yes, it is a prayer. While gazing at the mountain ranges, I adore the creator of the universe. However, I also noticed an aching feeling arising from my heart while I gazed at those mountains. Then, I realized that God was like those mountains to me.
She is majestic, she is beautiful, she is marvellous, but...
She is too far to reach.
One day, while I was gazing at those mountain ranges as my usual routine, one thought came to my heart,
‘I am here with you.’
At that moment, I somehow imagined those spectacular mountains moving into my heart. It was no longer just out there; it was here with me.
‘Here with me’ is a phrase that brings peace to my heart because it reminds me of God’s loving presence in me. As a spiritual director and your fellow traveller, my desire is that you will receive this gift of presence here with you.