I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121: 1 - 2
I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver
The evening of the Marshall vs. WVU football game, I took a walk with my grandchildren and dog. Since most everyone else in Huntington was at the stadium, it seemed that we were the only people left on earth, and we were enjoying our status as owners of everything we beheld (my grandchildren can be a little over-dramatic, wonder where they get that?). As we turned onto the next street, we came face to face with an amazing sunset. As we walked along, the horizon became visible between houses, and it became more and more vibrant. When 3-year old Thurston declared, "Look, green stripes," I thought to myself, I thought he knew his colors, but as I lifted my eyes there were, indeed, green stripes mixed with the pinks and yellows and oranges of the sunset. (I thought this might be a good omen for The Herd, but noooooooooooo). By the time we got to the end of the street, the sun was almost out of sight and 5-year-old Loretta announced that "this must be the best sunset in the whole world." Well, it was certainly the best sunset for me at that moment. Thank you God for allowing me to see this, not only through my eyes, but through the eyes of these precious children.
I once heard a lady in our church refer to Psalm 121 as the West Virginia Psalm because of the reference to the hills. I never hear that first verse that I don't think of our beautiful West Virginia hills. We are lucky to live in a place where beauty is the norm and not the exception. But the Psalmist is quick to remind us that our help does not come from the hills themselves but from the creator of the hills. All this beauty isn't just for our enjoyment, it also serves to remind us of the creator. Looking at that sunset without thinking of and thanking God, would have been impossible.
This is a hectic time of year. I urge you to run outside every now and then and lift your eyes to the hills.
God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. ~Martin Luther
Anita Gardner Farrell
1 comment:
Anita,
I love this. I love Psalm 121 for many reasons. It's my mother's favorite and some of my favorite songs are based on its words. I've never heard it referred to as the WV Psalm before, but will think of it that way from now on. Thank you for sharing!
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