More Vacation Reminders of God

I am sharing a few more vacation experiences from western North Carolina that remind me of God’s presence in my life and of how I can always depend on him. If you missed the first ones, you can find them here.

Our day spent in the cozy town of Black Mountain visiting shops in the historic downtown district began in the town square. It was a small, but beautifully landscaped, green space that was decorated “big” for Halloween. An enormous spider had claimed the center of the park adjacent to a giant rocker. CW hopped up into the chair and had some fun with the beastly creature.

I have no fondness for spiders. This one reminded me of how our fears can become exaggerated when we focus on them. David had the solution. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you” (Psalm 56:3). He knew that God was bigger than any danger. He trusted in the perfect love of God and believed what the apostle John would later write: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18)—even fear of giant arachnids!

We tried to slip in short hikes whenever we could. Usually, though, we were so busy being tourists that by the time we slowed down to just walk, little daylight was left. That was the case when we arrived at Dupont State Recreational Forest (DSRF) in Cedar Mountain. We had only about an hour to hike the trails. One path took us along the Little River. I stopped to watch the crystal water flow effortlessly over and around the numerous rocks that littered the river from bank to bank. None of them proved to be a formidable obstacle to the water as it coursed confidently on to its destination.

As we flow down the river of life, we will inevitably encounter obstacles. We may experience dozens of hindrances littering our stream bed all at once. Or a single obstruction may rise out of the water and threaten to overwhelm us. But God wants to direct us in the best way to go. If we will allow him, he will guide us over and around every barrier in our way to help us continue on our intended path. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Psalm 32:8).

Our reason for visiting DSRF was to see some of its several waterfalls. Fortunately, we had picked up a map of the area, so we knew exactly where to park to get the most from our limited time. We chose two short trails that could be accessed from the same point. Out and back on each trail would earn us two magnificent waterfall views. One was Hooker Falls. It was over 60 feet long and it powerfully dropped 12 feet into the serene Cascade Lake, a popular place to swim in the summer. That day only two men were there, fishing from the rocks in the peaceful setting.

The other was Triple Falls. Scenes from Last of the Mohicans and The Hunger Games were filmed there. The steep climb was worth it to view the three distinct cascades, totaling 20 feet in vertical drop. It was spectacular from a distance, nestled between the trees. There’s a way to hike down for a close-up view and even walk behind one of the cascades, but time didn’t allow us to do that.

Watching a waterfall, I think of Paul saying, “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). That love, like the descending water, is abundant, unending, and powerful. David said, “You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15). The psalmist wrote, “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:26). And Paul tells us “that neither death nor life . . . nor any powers . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:38-39).

One day we headed north on the Blue Ridge Parkway for the scenery and attractions. I had the ludicrous idea we might make it all 185 miles to the top of the state and stop in Mt. Airy, Andy Griffith’s hometown. Or at least 80 miles to Grandfather Mountain. But we barely covered 50. We stopped at every overlook along the way—one seemed to be around every bend—to look out at the grandeur of the mountains. Often we could see the valley below as well. It was like a snippet of God’s view of the big picture.

Whether we’re on the mountain or in the valley, we can only see the fragment of world in front of us. But God “views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens” (Job 28:24). And not only does he see the big picture of space, but also of time. David understood this when he wrote, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). God viewed the big picture of our lives even before we were born.

At the beginning of our drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway we stopped to visit the Folk Art Center. It hadn’t yet opened for the day, so we rescheduled it for later in the week. It houses the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the oldest continuously running craft guild in the country, founded in 1930. The craft shop sells the work of craftspeople in nine southeastern states. Every item showed excellent creativity and craftsmanship. We watched an artist demonstrating amazing skills with polymer clay. Then we visited the three exhibition rooms displaying pottery; jewelry; and crafts of fiber, wood, leather, paper, and more. I gazed for some time at an item of wall art called “O Glorious Day,” captivated by what it represents.

Paul wrote in a letter to Titus about living godly lives “while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). That will be the “Glorious Day”—when Jesus returns to earth for his bride. That day is described in the apostle John’s revelation: “⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” ⁵He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:4-5).

John MacArthur says this day “will be our salvation from the presence of sin” (One Faithful Life, p. 483). God’s followers will no longer be subjected to the effects of sin in this world for all things will be restored to the perfection of his original creation in the Garden of Eden and we will dwell in his presence eternally. O Glorious Day!

Reminders of God’s presence can appear in a scoop of curried chicken salad, a melody floating unexpectedly through the atmosphere, an amiable goat, a rocky mountaintop, a holiday decoration, a roaring waterfall, a piece of artwork, or anything else you can imagine. Once you know he’s everywhere (Psalm 139:7-10), you will encounter him more and more—if you keep your eyes and heart open.

Scripture quotations are from NIV.

Feature photo by CW Spencer:  sunset from Jump Off Rock in the Town of Laurel Park