Thursday Thoughts
May 18, 2023
“I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
This is a favorite verse from a beloved Psalm. I was born and raised in a beautiful valley surrounded by ancient mountains in a little place called Dry Valley in southwest VA. The community is so small it is not even on a map. The view of the mountains from the house I grew up in is still awe-inspiring. I moved to the Shenandoah Valley almost 44 years ago and am still surrounded by mountains. One of my favorite places to be is on my back porch looking out at the Blue Ridge Mountains. Being cradled by mountains all my life makes me feel safe and secure. I suppose that is why the Psalm 121 verse is so special to me, I can relate.
Many people find Psalm 23 very comforting and it is. My reference book says it was written several centuries before Psalm 121. As beautiful as Psalm 23 is there is something just as reassuring to me about Psalm 121. The Psalm’s author is unknown but it is one of the “ascent” Psalms. As the faithful would leave the desert floor where they had been traveling and climb the hill to Jerusalem, they would sing songs of praise and worship as they went to sacrifice for their sins. This was not a one-day event, they called it a season and elders near the gate greeted them. There was a whole ritual of entering the Holy City. The Jews worshiped the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and the Spirit of God lived in the temple, located on a hill.
This past weekend, I traveled with family to Benson NC, southeast of Raleigh, to a niece’s grad school graduation ceremony. The closer we got, the flatter the earth became. The tobacco fields were sandy and the pines were plentiful. There was not a hill in sight. I know many of you look forward each year to your escape to the beaches along the east coast and dream of the waves crashing upon the sandy shore all winter long. I like the beach for a day or two taking early morning and evening walks in the sand but then I am ready to come back to the mountains because there is where I find comfort. As we drove back home from Benson, I kept looking for the mountains on the horizon. I have traveled to many places but feel at home surrounded by mountains. I first began to notice the highway had a little undulation, then a small hill. It took miles but the first note-worthy mountain was Pilot Mountain. It made me feel as if I was being wrapped in a big hug to see that beautiful quartzite rising to the sky.
On mornings when the weather is conducive to drinking coffee out on the porch, I sit there. The mountains are the cathedral I am sitting in and the birds are the choir. It is a wonderful place to have devotions and prayer time. Sometimes I am early enough to catch the sun rising and I know God is there having put all things in their places. Late in the evening when the world is ready to rest, the outline of the mountains forms the sanctuary and the moon provides soft light. The night insects offer up a melody of praise. Once in a while, a fox will add to the musical offering. God is there in this cathedral and my heart is glad.
Wherever you feel the presence of God, I hope you go there often. It is a mindset about where and when we worship but whatever space we can, a hospital room, a jail cell, a sandy beach, a mountain top, or a place that feels strange, the one thing we can count on is the presence of God our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We can proclaim, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Amen!
Blessings,
Becky
