“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever” Isaiah 40:8
As I prayerfully walked the mountainous streets of Lajas de Yaroa, Dominican Republic, my overwhelmed brain attempted to grasp the abundant beauty surrounding me. “How is this kind of beauty real? How do these mountains roll on and on? How do these vibrant colors and textures and tones so effortlessly work together to paint these mountains and skies; these forests so high? Could anything be more beautiful than this?”
“For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all other gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land” Psalm 95:3-5
I don’t know about you, but I love beautiful things. Nature is one of my favorite ways to see the Lord’s passionate love for His children. He spoke the words and they simply became. But why? He had no obligation whatsoever. There was no expectation put on Him. And the answer is, as my squad-mate Annie Bingham would say, “dayenu”. Dayenu means “it would have been sufficient” or “it would have sufficed” and that is so suiting for this. To have a flat, dry, colorless world would have been enough. But God and His love for us instead made mountains and oceans, rivers and forests, deserts and icelands.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1
He made these wonders so that we can gaze at them and see His glory. So that we can see just how big He is. So that we can be anywhere in the whole world and still be able to look around and say “God is good and God is all surrounding”. BUT, even with all of these gorgeous sights, God’s beauty still reigns higher. The creation is nothing in comparison to the Creator. My eyes bore witness to these beautiful creations, and my soul was filled with awe. And yet God just decided that they were going to be. But he just was. He just is. He is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega. And the mountains bow down in reverence because of His majesty and His beauty. Because He alone is God over all.
“One thing I have asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.” Psalm 27:4

Also... update on life! I’ve been in the Dominican Republic for a month and I’m absolutely in love with it! My squad and I only have one more month left on the World Race and then we’re heading home May 31! Please message me or leave a comment if you wanna hear more in depth about what we’re doing here and what ministry and life looks like!