This will be brief because, once again, Tuesday has snuck up on me and Tuesday is “my day.” So, let me ask you a question: Have you ever stepped into God’s sanctuary?
Well, it took me nearly 51 years but it’s finally happened to me this past weekend. I’ve been in some great cathedrals and churches, I’ve been to Israel and walked the paths of the faithful and the few, but this literally took my breath away.
I walked a path through a small portion of the Jedediah Smith Redwood Forest in Northern California. My companions was an old friend (not “old/old”…but a longtime friend!) and her husband. We walked along, our sneakers padding the beaten path, the giant redwoods stretching up to the sky, nearly blocked by the foliage. We chatted (”Look at this one…” and “Oh, my goodness” and “You say Return of the Jedi was filmed here?…I can totally see that….”) and then drew quiet.
I was suddenly aware, in the crisp of the air and the muted light from above, that there was TOTAL silence around us. TOTAL. Nothing moved, nothing chirped, nothing snapped. Total silence.
I looked up. Out. Around. Through branches dripping with moss and trunks wrapped by ferns. Wow.
This is God’s sanctuary…I thought.
We made our way to the coastline of Northern California. I stepped away from my friends and sat on a high cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The wind was probably around 50-60 MPH. The waves of the ocean beat against the rocks beneath my feet and the rugged cliffs just beyond the shoreline.
The Oregon Coast Travel Guide says that Oregon’s coast is proof of the Northwest’s amazing diversity. I found it to be proof of God’s amazing diversity.
This is God’s sanctuary…I thought.
Later that evening and on into the next day, I spoke to about 200 women at a women’s conference. I stood behind a lecturn off and on for a little over four hours, speaking of God’s grace, His mercy, His love. It was a lovely church–in and of itself. But what really blew my mind was the look on the women’s faces. They were hungry to hear the Word of God and I was more than willing to accomodate them.
And then I thought: No. This is God’s sanctuary!
In a matter of a few short hours, I’d seen the places where God dwells…in the peaceful redwood forest, in the powerful waters of the Pacific, and in the anxious faces of His beloved.
It was good. It was very good.
photos copyright Eva Marie Everson, 2008
18 Comments
Love to hear your “voice” again. This was beautiful.
Thank you Suze!
Eva,
This California girl is speechless!
Your words were put to music by your photography…thank you for that “song.”
GREAT BIG HUGS!
I’ve always said I feel closer to God when I am outdoors. That’s why I love camping, to get up early and watch the sunrise over the ocean or a beautiful lake, it makes me feel so at peace and inspires me.
Gerri B.
Thank you for your comment on my photography. I haven’t had time yet to do any computer work to those shots so your comment makes me feel pretty good! Nothing…and I do mean NOTHING…can truly captivate where we were, tho. No doubt.
Eva
Gerri,
Thank you! I hope everyone will double click on the photos to get a bigger and better view!
Eva, many times when we see awesome places in our natural world, we think of God and worship Him. Thanks for pointing out the faces of His beloved as His sanctuary as well. To think that we can compare to the beauties of His world is marvelous!
Cheryl, I have to tell you this: I kept remembering the verse in Psalms that says: What is man that you are mindful of him? The son of man that you care for him? (8:4)
And yet, more important than the trees and the ocean were those hearts, minds, and souls behind the faces in the audience.
God continues to amaze me, even as I type this.
Having lived in southern California, I know the majesty of the ocean, the mountains, the breathtaking views all around. I can vividly “see” the sanctuary as you describe it, Eva. Thank you for the amazing word pictures you paint. Wow.
And there you were in my own backyard, Eva Marie! We were so glad to have you with us just across the border here in Oregon, and as I told you when you were here, “YOU, AND THE THINGS YOU SHARED WERE LIKE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR” to us.
The countryside around us is indeed beautiful and I loved the photos you took. I am fortunate enough to see the river and the ocean right from my parlor window as I type.
Thank you so much for your pictured reminder on this blog of what not only surrounds us here, but also while you were in “diverse” Oregon, for bringing into perspective another picture of what our hearts needed to hear and grasp.
My daughter and I were greatly blessed!
Oh, Thank you Shirley!!!
Now I’m jealous of your view! I have a lovely view where I type of a wall!
Eva,
Thank you so much for what you have shared here, including your pictures. I am blessed to live here and so often forget to stop and enjoy the blessings of the Redwoods and the ocean, the river to. If you didn’t get a chance to experience that, on your next trip for sure. I often tease living in Crescent City that our beach is nice but God is at the Brookings Beach. I love to retreat there and just sit with my Lord. The Lord has spoken and directed me much on those beaches.
I’m glad you were able to be blessed by our beauty here. I live in Crescent City and was very blessed to attend the conference this weekend. Thank you sooooooooo much for teaching the WORD!!!! All the other stuff is good but the Word is what is true and we can stand on! I was very thankful the Lord allowed me to attend.
I recently went to Israel and fell in love with it and want to return. I was blessed by what you shared regarding Israel and can’t wait to get your book and all the pictures. I took over 3000 pictures when I went but trying to organize and remember has been a process. Can’t wait to see your pictures in the book.
Lord bless you and your ministry as you continue to share the Lord and His Word.
Sami,
I recall my first trip to Israel. I came back with all these photos of rocks. And I would think, “Which rock was that???” or “where was I when I took the picture of THAT boulder!?”
Ha ha! I knew better when I returned!
3000 photos! WOW! With digital or the old fashioned way?
Eva
I was so blessed by your teachings in Brookings! It was a divine appointment for me. I hope you’ll come see us again!
Gina,
Name the date!
Eva Marie~ What a blessing you were! You opened up the Word in a whole new way. …And what a fun trip it was coming from the Medford airport with you and Linda
Seeing through your eyes the beauty that we take so much for granted sometimes just makes me appreciate even more where I have the privilege of living. God truly does make all His majesty visible here. Next time you visit, bring your family and plan a real vacation so you can “see it all”! God bless you 
Yes, Eva, good. Very good. Thanks for sharing.
Eva,
Blessings dear. It was such a wonderful experience to be able to attend your conference. I was with Sami and the group from Calvary Chapel. I too live around Crescent City. It was my first women’s retreat. I got to share this with my Sister. We are still new in our walk with the LORD. HE has done so much for us in our lives and the more we get to experience the deeper our love for HIM grows. You and your daughter are such an inspiration. My prayer for the teens are to be able to hear you daughter’s story of what she had been through. Gosh. What a testimony. It was such a Blessing to hear you speaking of things we related to so deeply. I read about when you went on your walk through the forest and sat on a rock. I think of when my hubby and I go out and hike and we are in the forest listening to the stillness, or the crash of the ocean water hitting the rocks. I just look to heaven and say…. GOD, Thank you for giving us such beauty to live in. I paint so to see what GOD has given me to put on a canvas gives inspiration through art.
I will keep you in my prayers.
Hugs Wanda