Monday I am headed to Washington state on vacation to visit family and to backpack.  I am looking forward to spending about a week on the Pacific Crest Trail, hiking north of Steven’s Pass.

I feel in love with the mountains as teen-ager. My first backpacking trip was at age 15 with some friends to Lena Lake in Olympic National Park. I continued to hike as often as I can. Recent hikes on the Superior Hiking Trail and in Rocky Mountain National Park have become posts on my blog.

I find spiritual renewal in being on trail. I have been reading selections of John Muir’s writings from Richard Cartwright’s book Baptized in Wilderness: A Christian Perspective on John Muir.  Muir’s travels in the wilderness of the American west evoked spiritual rapture. Writing about his first summer in Yosemite Valley,

John Muir, American conservationist. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now we are fairly high into the mountains, and they are into us. We are fairly living now. What bright seething white-fire enthusiasm is bred into us–without our help or knowledge. A perfect influx into every pore and cell of us, fusing, vaporizing by its heat until the boundary walls of our heavy flesh tabernacle seem taken down and we flow and diffuse into the very air and trees and streams and rocks , thrilling with them to the touch of the vital sunbeams. Responsive, we are part of nature now … How glorious the conversion. (p 11)

When I read Muir I am reminded of the psalmist who writes that all creation can give glory to God.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!
Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!  (Psalm 148:7)

Though I do not worship the creation, the beauty and glory of God’s creation can fill my soul with “seething white-fire enthusiasm” and wonder.

How does the wonder of creation touch your soul? Are there special places where you find God’s Spirit present?

Lord Jesus, renew me through the wonder of your creation.