This week in one of my classes, a fellow student said something that struck me. It was along the lines of "The more we humble ourselves, the more glorious God appears to us." It got me thinking.
Two and a half years ago, my family went on a summer vacation "out West". My favorite part was the Grand Teton National Park.
Before that trip, the only mountains I'd ever seen were the Smokies down in Tennessee.
After that trip, I was reluctant even to call the Smokies "mountains". I prefer "large hills".
Since that trip, I have seen other mountains. But the Tetons remain the most awe-inspiring range I have ever seen.
Why? The answer is simple.
Elevation.
In the Smoky Mountains, the elevation is ever-varying between about 900 and 6000 feet over a range of 36 miles. The foothills roll long before the range begins. In Wyoming, though, it's a different story.
The elevation of the town Jackson Hole, sitting just below the Tetons' peaks, is about 6200 feet. The landscape is flat, marked only by fields and rivers, until suddenly
colossal
majestic
snow-covered
jagged-peaked
Mountains
rise almost unbelievably out of the plains.
The peaks reach nearly 14,000 feet, which may not be a big deal compared to the Colorado Rockies, but remember- that's a very sudden increase of about 8,000 feet. It isn't the height above sea level that makes the Tetons impressive. It's the height from base to peak, and the sharp drop between the two.
The Tetons wouldn't really be all that impressive if the elevation of Jackson Hole was much higher, or if the ground rose more gradually. They're not record-setting peaks. As it is, though, they're spectacular, awe-inspiring, breathtaking.
Our God is colossal. He is awesome, powerful, majestic, huge, glorious.
But how can we see that if, in our flawed minds, our own elevation isn't too significantly different?
The more humble we are- the lower our elevation- the more glorious our Lord appears in our eyes.
