There Must be More

Last weekend we went camping at a provincial park we had never been to before: Lake St. Peter. It is a small campground with only 65 sites, but it’s beautiful. The campground was  nearly empty, it not being vacation season quite yet. Our site was private with a pretty view of the lake. The beach, only a 5 minute walk away, begged us to come one afternoon to sit and rest while enjoying the surroundings.

It was a relaxing time of reflection and revelation for me. There was sand, wind, water. An early summer sun shone over the wooded hills in the distance. Tall majestic pines towered overhead. There was not another soul in sight.  An atmosphere of beauty, order and peace pervaded the place.

My thoughts soon turned to a hymn I had learned as a child:

“This is my Father’s world/ and to my listening ears/all nature sings; and round me rings/ the music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world/ I rest me in the thought/ of rocks and trees, of skies and seas/ His hand the wonders wrought. ”

This world is indeed wondrous and wonderful. Everything in the natural world points to my Father, the master craftsman. His infinite ingenuity, imagination and power are displayed unashamedly.  It astounds me that He would love humankind, the crown of His creation, so much as to provide such a lovely garden for us to inhabit.

As I enjoyed the scenic setting I pondered how easy it can be to enjoy the gifts but miss the Giver. My prayer is that when I see the Lord’s handiwork, my heart would leap in adoration and praise. My desire is to be a child who is profoundly grateful to my Father not only for what He provides for me, but for who He is.

On the beach that day though, strangely, I was not completely content. I found myself experiencing a yearning for more. Even in a place of such beauty, peace and safety – which is certainly not the case everywhere on the earth —  I sensed a deep desire, a longing for more than this life and this world. The cry of my heart was, “There must be more!”

God’s still small voice of reassurance and hope echoed in my spirit as I recalled the ending of my childhood hymn:

“This is my Father’s world/ O let me ne’er forget/ that though the wrong seems oft so strong/ God is the ruler yet. This is my Father’s world/the battle is not done/ Jesus, who died, shall be satisfied/ and earth and heaven be one.”

Songwriter and worship leader, Jeremy Camp, describes the fulfilling of our heart’s cry for more another way:

“There will be a day/ with no more tears/no more pain, and no more fears./ There will be a day/ when the burdens of this place/ will be no more, we’ll see Jesus face to face.”

I realized again that day on the beach that my longing for “the more” will only be truly and fully satisfied when Jesus returns to this earth in all His glory. When he comes everything will be made right in the world. There will be no more of some things, and so much more of others. And the best thing of all — all we could ever hope for — will be to see Jesus face to face.

So for now I see a reflection, as in a mirror, of my Lord and His handiwork. Someday I will be in His presence and I know that it will be more than I ever dreamed of.