Through a spiritual lens July 25, 2011 Issue

Montana dusk

Maike Byrd

It was a warm July evening in Montana’s Glacier National Park. After a six-hour hike along the Continental Divide, my fellow hikers and I had driven back down the parks Going-to-the-Sun Road and stopped in the village of Apgar, at the southernmost tip of Lake McDonald. While the rest of the group explored the shops, I walked down to the water’s edge to take some pictures and check on boat rentals.

I soon felt compelled to stop to take in the beauty of the lake, backed by the majestic rise of mountains in the distance. Several colorful boats spread a warm glow in the evening sun as they bobbed at their moorings. A boy and a girl came skipping along the dock, peeking into different boats, apparently choosing their favorites in anticipation of a ride with their parents. Their voices were little more than a whisper across the water.

I was completely taken by the peacefulness of the moment. It filled me with gratitude for the presence of God and the beauty of His creation. The Psalmist’s words echoed in me: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). Every ripple on the lake, every mountain patched with snowfields, spoke to me of the grandeur of God's all- wise, all-encompassing presence, and of His care for His universe. It was a moment to capture and savor—which I did in just this one shot.

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