How Visiting the Grand Canyon Showed Me God’s Love, Strength, and the Power of Perspective
A Faith-Filled Trip That Reminded Me of God’s Love and the Beauty of Growth Anywhere
My birthday was last week, and honestly, I’m still floating on a high from it. This year looked a little different for me; I chose to slow things down and have my very first self-care birthday. There were a few personal reasons behind that decision, and I’ll be sharing the full birthday recap and why I switched it up in next week’s blog. I actually have an entire post coming with all the details from my birthday week, including a long vlog. One of the highlights was a trip to Arizona, where we road-tripped out to the Grand Canyon. And today, I really want to share what standing in front of that view taught me about God, growth, and gratitude. It was one of those moments that reminded me how small we are, but how deeply loved and cared for we can still be.
When I first said I wanted to visit the Grand Canyon, I honestly had no idea what I was signing up for. All I knew was that I was flying to Arizona, and it was just a three-hour drive away. You know how people have these travel bucket lists? Yeah, I don’t. I’m pretty open to going wherever life takes me. Truthfully, I can count on one hand (without even using my thumb) the number of times I’ve thought about or even mentioned the Grand Canyon. I’m just now becoming the type of girl who kinda enjoys nature, as long as there aren’t too many bugs involved. But visiting the Grand Canyon felt like something new, different, and way out of my usual routine. I wanted to give you a little backstory before we jump into the good stuff.
First let me say, the drive into the Grand Canyon was beautiful. The mountains and cacti were truly a sight to see. You could even spot snow on top of the mountains. The landscape was unreal. If you didn’t know, the Grand Canyon does charge $35 to enter, and the stretch to get in is long. As soon as we parked and began walking up to the canyon, my mind was blown. It’s truly MASSIVE. Pictures don’t do it justice. I thought I’d see this big rock formation — but it’s so much more than that. It stretches beyond what your eyes can see. It’s honestly breathtaking in person.
The colors are vibrant and rich. The green on the trees looked unreal. We spent about an hour or so there and left because it was sunrise, and we didn’t want to be out there in the dark. Something I didn’t know is how dangerous the Grand Canyon can be. It’s essentially a massive cliff with no railings or barriers in many areas. You have to be careful. I even strapped Saint into his stroller so he wouldn’t get too close. There weren’t any park rangers or security around that we could see. God forbid something happened, who could help you? People were sitting on the edge, and others were hiking down into the canyon. That’s something I think I’d love to do soon, too.
My mom and I were amazed at all the beauty surrounding us. It was a reminder of God’s love, creativity, and power. The same God that created this massive canyon intricately created each and every one of us. As we walked the Rim Trail, we saw albino deer, birds, butterflies, elk, and other creatures. It was incredible to see so many different living things coexisting in such a beautiful space.
One moment that really stood out was when my mom and I saw this tree growing out of a rock. Don’t get me wrong, the canyon itself has trees scattered throughout that are beautiful. But this one tree, uniquely twisted together, growing on the side of a rock, stopped us in our tracks. There was no other explanation for it but God. Some things in life don’t make sense by human standards, and this was one of those moments.
There’s a song I love by Jordan Welch where she sings, “How much more does He love you?” And as I stood there, looking out over the canyon, it hit me — if God cares so much for this earth, creating every detail to work together in perfect harmony, how much more does He love me? How much more does He love you?
Everything in the Grand Canyon serves a purpose, playing a part in making the entire ecosystem thrive. And just like that, everything in your life has been handpicked by God for your good. This trip was an experience I didn’t know I needed, but one I’m so grateful for. If you’ve never been, I sincerely encourage you to go. It puts life into perspective and reveals God’s love in a way words can barely explain. I’ll definitely be going back to hike later this year, and now, I fully understand why the Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
