Are We Almost There Yet?

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

“Are we almost there yet?” It wasn’t the first time I had asked my dad that question since leaving the big city, Calgary, behind us. It seemed like ages ago. Except for a few winds here and turns there, the road cut straight through the country side, miles and miles of farm land or nothing. I wouldn’t call it desert. Was it a type of wasteland? It was all new to me.

“See that hill up yonder? It’s beyond that,” he replied. But that had been his reply each time I had asked.

Another silent question probed my thoughts, “What am I doing here?” Growing up a few blocks from the beach on the Puget Sound with mountains almost any direction you looked, this somewhat flat, wilderness was not a beautiful start to a new adventure. I did not share Anne of Green Gables awe of wonder as she travelled with Matthew that first time to her new home on Prince Edward Island. No. I had recently spent a fascinating year in Europe living in incredibly beautiful parts of Germany and Austria. A taste of a culture and lifestyle, along with the beauty had gripped my heart. It was a grip I could not shake loose from. It was God’s call to one day return.

So, why was I on the road with my dad, in the middle of nowhere, headed to some little town, with the same kind of landscape we were driving through now? If it wasn’t for my youngest sister, Christina, attending High School affiliated with the Bible School there, I would never have given the place a second thought. Without her, I wouldn’t have even known about it.

Dad interrupted my thoughts. “See that hill up yonder?”

“Yes, I know. It’s farther still!”

“No, it’s to the side of that hill, those three hills actually. Do you see them? That’s Three Hills.”

Yes, I could see them, though they looked more like three pimples. We were still a good 15 to 20 minutes away, but I could see what looked like a water tower and town. Out here one can see for miles and miles.

Christina wasn’t the only reason why I was going to Bible School. Responding to the call to return to Austria as a missionary, this was the next step in the process of finding out just what that call meant. I did not know then, but it would be another four years before I left this place. Not only would I be a student at the school, but also would have the privilege of being on staff. That is, until God literally kicked me back to Austria.

Meanwhile, God opened my eyes to the beauty all around me. Besides enjoying the quiet of country life, the contrast of seasons, the hum of farming machinery, and all nature had to offer, I became fascinated and stayed alert to any sightings of the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, the curfew for students was too early for most of the Northern Light displays. But I got to drink them in all through out the summer while travelling for the school as part of a quartet, especially when we were at camps way up north.

Another aspect of living in the country that continually baffled me was being able to see the sky touch the horizon. Everywhere else I had lived, there were always obstructions to this. Mind you, they were beautiful obstructions: The mountains, the hills, the trees and forests.

One late afternoon, I was out for a walk heading out of town toward the farm that used to be owned by the school, when I was stopped by the most beautiful sight, the moon rising just above the horizon. The moon was huge and overwhelming. It was dark orange and yellows. I stood glued to the spot, filled with awe and wonder, for a good quarter hour or more, watching the moon rise.  Back then, there were no cell phones with cameras built into them to capture such a moment. Back then, I don’t even think there were cell phones! I certainly didn’t have one and wouldn’t until years later in Austria. Nevertheless, that moment is forever imprinted in my memory. Psalm 34:3 says, “Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.”  It was as if the moon was saying, “Let us exalt Him, the creator of such beauty and splendor!”

You know, the moon makes no light of its own. It merely reflects the light of the sun, yet we marvel at the light it is able to reflect. Do our lives reflect the Lord Jesus so brightly that the world stands amazed that God could show forth His glory so much through us? Matthew 5:14 says, “You are the light of the world.” It doesn’t say, you should be, or you could be. No, it says you are. So, what type of light are you? Matthew goes on to say in verse 16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” We are the Lord’s hands and feet here on the earth to bring glory to Him. Let’s be such examples to where people stop in awe of what the Lord has done through our lives.

“Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together!”

Blessings, Mari