Our Maine Trip Reflection

We just returned home from a week away in the woods of Maine.  We were essentially without all forms of media and while I did sneak a peak at my email a few times on Ricardo’s phone, for the most part being cut off from all that stuff was very good for the soul.  More than anything I enjoyed two things most of all:

First, the joy my children felt being in such a different setting to what they are accustomed to experiencing was wonderful to watch.  They loved everything about being in nature.  When your city kids get to spend a week in almost constant fresh air you just feel happy.

Second, taking the time to look around me and think about God’s creation was uplifting to my spirit.  The lake, mountains, trees, moss, even the wild blueberries growing outside our house, God made them all.  What a beautiful work of His hands.  Nothing in this world is random.  We have a creator, a maker of it all.  Beautiful things help solidify that for me.  There’s no way it just so happened that way. 

At night the stars were so bright because there was no other light nearby.  We never see stars like that in the city.  Looking up at them I thought, “Lord you are so vast and so amazing.  You created this all.” 

On our way home we stopped along the coast and checked out the tidal pools that form along the rocky shore line.  Waves crashed against the rocks and the wind blew gently.  I thought of the lyrics of this song written over 125 years ago:


O Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder


Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,


I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,


Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander


And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;


When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur


And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art! ...


Originally a Swedish folk melody,
"O Store Gud" by Carl Boberg (1859-1940)
was translated by Stuart K. Hine in 1899.

Be blessed as I was!  Two more pics from our trip:

                                                                             J. and M. checking out the sea!

Wild blueberries growing outside our house.