No Hills

Sugar and I were on the back side of the building taking our morning excursion. Those verses in Psalm 121 were floating through my head:

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

So I decided to lift my eyes to the hills and check it out. I looked up, and there were no hills in sight! Just trees. It set me thinking about calling for help, and I have to say, when I need help, I don't lift my eyes, I lift my voice!

And I don't look to hills, I call for some person to help me, someone who can do something about whatever I am dealing with. I had to think about it for a bit. I suspect these verses are not talking about being saved from a sudden emergency situation, but about ongoing long term care and provision.

It's like when I look at the quilt my mother made for me - not because she expected anything in return, but just because she loves me and wants me to be warm and wrapped in her love. She spent hours embroidering forty-eight squares with beautiful flowers - iris, tulip, daffodil, rose, violet, daisy, cosmos etc., each square labeled with the name of the flowers. Then she spent even more time sewing all the squares together, lining and backing the whole blanket and tying it off like a true quilt. The colors are soft pastel, the handiwork exquisite.

Everytime I see or think of the quilt, I think of Mom and it makes me feel loved and special. My boys all feel the same way about their Grandma-made quilts! So when I "lift up my eyes" to the handiwork of my Mom, I know that she has been taking care of me all my life, providing for me, seeing that my needs are met, being my friend, someone always willing to listen to me.

That's what the Psalmist could have been referring to. When he looks at the hills, at the handiwork of God who created them, he is aware of God's provision and love and help!

My Mother knew to prepare meals before we were all starving, and to dress us in clean clothes and keep us warm in winter and cool in summer and all the other things that Mothers do for their children. She created an environment conducive to my growth, well being and happiness.

In the same way, God provides food, beauty, water, sunshine and other resources for humankind. A place conducive to our happiness and well being.

Children do not have to ask their Moms (for the most part) for lunch or clean socks or medicine. Most children are not even aware of all the things that their Moms do to provide a safe and comfortable home for them.

Sometimes we are not aware of all that God is doing on our behalf to make our world, as riddled with pollution as it is, still livable. We do not have to ask God for these amply provided stock items of life that God sends our way.

I am beginning to get some understanding of those verses. For now I am content to gaze at the trees and be happy for all they do to keep my world clean and cool!