We headed for the summit. The air was thin and the going wasn’t easy; we had to stop often to catch our breath only to lose it again when surveying the majesty surrounding us….When we reached the summit we knew we were on “Hallowed Ground.” God created this beauty for us to inhale and enjoy. All we could do was to silently look around and whisper, “Wow!”

When on vacation in Canada, God showed me and my husband, Joe, his presence in a mighty way. Snow is my thing. I was born in a blizzard in Boston. As a kid and only like a kid can, I loved snow. The Lord, who gives us the desires of our hearts, prepared this vacation for us.

The day before we arrived in the Banff/Jasper area they had a snow storm. They had not had a snow storm in May in two years. When we were driving from Calgary to Banff the roadside was a picture of my childhood memories of clean, white snow. It was glorious. I jumped out of the car and ran through the snow. My heart abounded with joy. I could have stayed there all day. But the Lord had even more joy and pleasure in store for us.

As we continued on down the highway, the Great Canadian Rockies appeared and loomed in front of us. They stood snow-covered, gigantic, majestic, rugged, powerful, and beautiful. This breathtaking sight was just a preparation for our ultimate mountain top experience.

Joe and I took the cable car up Whistler’s Mountain in Jasper National Park, Alberta. As we were in the cable car climbing the mountain we could view the beautiful scene below us of lakes and forests. There were mountains on all sides and the snow on them was glistening in the sun. As the cable car moved higher and higher heading towards our destination, the surrounding panorama became larger and more beautiful. When we stepped out of the cable car and onto the ground all we could do as we viewed the majestic mountains that God had made, was to stand in awe of the sight. We were surrounded by the Canadian Rockies and the only word that escaped my mouth was a whispered, “Wow!”

We were on Whistler’s Mountain but we were not at the Summit. Because Joe and I liked hiking, and because I especially liked walking in the snow, we headed for the summit. The air was thin and the going wasn’t easy; we had to stop often to catch our breath only to lose it again when surveying the majesty surrounding us. Each time we stopped we would look at where we had come from…and look around us to see where we were…and look up to see where we were going. All vantage points were important. When we reached the summit we knew we were on “Hallowed Ground.” God created this beauty for us to inhale and enjoy. All we could do was to silently look around and whisper, “Wow!”

This is not unlike the Christian walk. We look back on where we’ve come from…sinners saved by grace. We look at where we are on our earthly journey with the Lord and know that everything that has happened to us has been directed by him. When we looked at where we are going we rest in God’s promise of eternal life because of Jesus and his “Lamb of God”-sacrifice on Calvary’s cross for us. The Canadian Rockies are magnificent but even more magnificent is what God has prepared for us in heaven.

“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9).

Pondering this verse all we could do was whisper, “Wow!”

Miriam Gautier is a member of Springs Presbyterian Church in Dunnellon, Fla.