This beautiful passage from John Muir’s book My First Summer in the Sierra describes a beautiful time of experiencing God’s beauty in nature. It describes so well the feeling I often have in nature, of God's closeness and love. What a treasure He has given us in the created world! I thank God for such moments that touch our hearts so deeply.
“[A boulder] stands firm in the middle of the stream channel, just below the lower edge of the pool dam at the foot of the [water]fall nearest our camp… When I climbed on top of it to-day and lay down to rest, it seemed the most romantic spot I had yet found, -- the one big stone with its mossy level top and smooth sides standing square and firm and solitary, like an altar, the fall in front of it bathing it lightly with the finest of the spray, just enough to keep its moss cover fresh; the clear green pool beneath, with its foam-bells and its half circle of lilies leaning forward like a band of admirers, and flowering dogwood and alder trees leaning over all in sun-sifted arches.
“How soothingly, restfully cool it is beneath that leafy, translucent ceiling, and how delightful the water music--the deep bass tones of the fall, the clashing, ringing spray, and infinite variety of small low tones of the current gliding past the side of the boulder-island, and glinting against a thousand smaller stones down the ferny channel! All this shut in; every one of these influences acting at short range as if in a quiet room. The place seemed holy, where one might hope to see God.
“After dark, when the camp was at rest, I groped my way back to the altar boulder and passed the night on it, -- above the water, beneath the leaves and starts, -- everything still more impressive than by day, the fall seen dimly white, singing Nature's old love song with solemn enthusiasm, while the stars peering through the leaf-roof seemed to join in the white water's song. Precious night, precious day to abide in me forever.
“Thanks be to God for this immortal gift.”