God's Garden

It is breathtaking. You stand there speechless. You pinch yourself wondering if what you are seeing is real.

The place I am talking about is the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

I went there for the first time a few years ago and was immediately captivated with the beauty of the landscape. The mountains rising up into the air; stunning from every angle.

I was struck last week when I was there by the name of this place.

The Garden of the Gods. It was given that name by two surveyors who founded the town called Colorado City in 1859. They concluded that it was a place where the gods themselves would assemble.

As I hiked up, wanting to stop at every moment to take in the views, I was reminded of one particular spot where, the last time I visited this place, we were given the gift of a beautiful rainbow after a clearing shower.

I was reminded, once again, that God created everything and that "the heavens declare the

glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).

This place is God's garden where we are given the privilege to see His mighty handiwork and His unparalleled imagination.

Admiring God's creation makes me wonder what the new heaven and the new earth will look like.

Will there be mountains, but will they rise a little bit higher into the sky? Will the blue of the sky be bluer and that sense of peace I feel surrounded by mountains be much stronger?

I am certain it will.

If earth is this breathtaking, just imagine what heaven will be as we bask in its glory side by side with Jesus.

How thankful I am that God shares His earthly garden with us and that we have the hope that one day we will share the heavenly one with Him.

Photo credit: My sister, Dana Kelly