Just a Humble Ant

A little over a month ago, my friends, husband, and I went away to Yosemite for a weekend getaway. The weather was incredible, the company was grand, and the view surrounding my every location that weekend was breathtaking.

My car ride there, with my hubby, was typical of most of our trips-- filled with good music, conversation, and a lot of falling asleep (on my part). However, as we grew closer and closer to our destination and began to take the drive up and through the mountains, I found myself speechless and quite humbled at my surroundings.

I can't recall the last time I was in the presence of so much pure and glorious nature-- it was most likely when I was still a child. That weekend, I sat in my passenger seat, while Henry drove, and I remember staring out through the windows as I examined what seemed like each and every passing tree and rocky slope. My eyes surveyed how tall and confident everything seemed to stand-- it seemed as if every element in the valley was presenting itself in the most grandiose way possible. This ride alone left me in complete awe!

Just when I thought the Yosemite Valley could not get any more beautiful, an 8-mile hike deep into and up the the mountains and trails proved me wrong. When you're climbing up a mountain through forests and alongside tremendous waterfalls, the beauty just amplifies.

The whole weekend seemed to go by quickly and before we knew it we were back home. However, being in the natural presence of such pure and absolute beauty left quite an impression on my heart. I don't know how to really describe how I felt better than with the word, "humbled".

I was humbled by how vast and grand the world beyond my little bubble of a life in my quaint suburban home was. Although, I am and was well aware of this, I felt that this realization was just infinitely stronger when I was actually face-to-face with such incredible nature. It made me contemplate the fact that it is so easy to get caught up in my life. It's easy to feel that everything revolves around me. The daily routine of life and all of the trials and tribulations along the way often leave me mentally preoccupied. However, when I stopped and took a minute to soak in the world and cast my eyes on the remarkable and perfect elements of our Earth, I was reminded that there is so much more to life. I was humbled by the greatness of my surroundings and felt so tiny in comparison. There I was in the middle of one of God's perfectly created pieces of work in nature and I was nothing but a speck in the frame.

I was left humbled thinking about my teeny tiny self with my itty bitty life. Sure, my existence is essential and of course I try to live each day to the fullest. But, any problems, worries, troubles or hurdles I may encounter are like crumbs compared to the rest of the world. I know God cares about my woes and loves me unconditionally, but when it comes down to it allowing myself to stress and worry is pointless. What may seem like the iceberg to my Titanic of a life is really just like a little ant in a field of grass. In reality, my whole existence is just like that ant; I'm just crawling and living in this big, big world.

It's not all about me. It's all about Him. It's all about the world around me. It's all about remembering to be humble and thankful to be included, even as a tiny ant, in this majestic work of art that He has created.