The Heavenly Hillside

The sun is shining brightly from a cloudless blue sky and the summer grass smells sweet as I run barefoot through the meadow. My gaze is fixed on the overwhelming beauty of the colorful hillside rising before me. A vast expanse of purple, white, and greens hues emanate from the blanket of wild irises that covers the entire hillside.

The brilliant colors fill my young heart with joy and a smile crosses my face. I begin to wonder if heaven is on that hillside. I want it to be. I want so much to keep running up to the radiant splendor of heaven where all the cares of this world will melt away and I will find peace.

As I reach the hillside, I slow down. I begin to climb tentatively at first, almost reverently; not wanting to damage the flowers or taint the beauty of this purple blanket of peacefulness. But the flowers seem to go on forever and I can’t wait to get to the top. My pace increases to a brisk walk, then a gentle jog, and finally a full speed run that moves me faster and faster toward the pinnacle of that heavenly hillside.

Breathless with exertion and expectation, I finally crest the hill and drop to my knees in wonder and delight as the purple blanket of flowers enfolds and comforts me. I lie down and feel the sense of peace and rest that I have desperately longed for – the peace that has eluded me for ten years of life on this planet.

After a timeless rest, I stand up and, from the heights of that heavenly hill, gaze in awe and wonder at the palette of beauty before me. I have found a piece of heaven on earth. With my face and hands lifted to the sky I shout, “Thank You, God” and then proceed to twirl round and round, laughing with delight at the beauty and wonder of life.

This is a precious memory from my childhood. As a child, I believed that God created that heavenly hillside of purple flowers just for me – and maybe he did. I pray that I will never lose that childlike faith and the sense of awe and wonder, of love and beauty, of peace and adventure that is only found in a personal relationship with God. May we all find a heavenly hillside where God is as real to us as life itself.

1 comments:

Unknown February 10, 2010  

Beautiful! I can picture myself breathing in the peace that your hillside offers. Thanks for sharing.

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