“That’s it?” my teenage son questioned after a 30-minute hike up to a waterfall this past weekend. “Ugh.”
Impressing a teenager is nearly impossible. I get it. I was that age before too. The ability to appreciate the beauty of water falling over a cliff–the feeling of light mist in the air, the white noise that fills the silence like no other sound of nature–it all culminates into something beautiful, Every time. But for a teenager, it can’t replace a video game. Or hold up against the excitement of a Marvel movie. Or be as thrilling as a baseball game.
And that’s a shame.
I give him a pass though, because the waterfall will always be there waiting for him to someday appreciate it. His youth, his childhood… these moments are fleeting. He won’t get them again.
I’d like to think God is just as patient with us. As we journey, we simply don’t grasp the depths of beauty He puts in front of us. But He knows that one day, we’ll get there, and because He loves us today, He’s fine with us not being fully there. Not fully appreciating what’s really in front of us. Yet.
I think that’s why he gives us things like waterfalls. They’ll be there waiting for us when we’re ready. And when we are, the sheer beauty and wonder will always be worth the hike.
(Photo Credit: Kevin McNeese, Tumolo Falls, Bend, OR)