Rachel McPherson is an East Coast soul living in the Midwest. She loves writing, photography and spending quality time with friends.
I was born and raised in a city south of Boston, Mass. I was a typical New Englander. I loved a fast-paced lifestyle and had a tendency to neglect consonants at the end of words, especially the letter “r.” I lived in a crowded neighborhood where only a few feet of pavement separated one house from the next. Noise was constant, days were jam-packed with activities and taking time to marvel at God’s creation was considered a waste of time.
During my junior year of college, I joined a class of biology majors on a month-long trip to New Zealand. I went not to increase my knowledge in ecology, but to foster my growing interest in photojournalism. New Zealand was the antithesis of Boston. There seemed to be more sheep than people and the dirt roads ran through green hills that stretched for miles.
My time in New Zealand was my first experience with a slower pace of life. Many times it took hours to get from one destination to the next. More than once we found ourselves sitting in the van at a standstill, staring at a herd of sheep stubbornly maintaining their position in the middle of the road.
While stuck in traffic jams of sheep, I cultivated friendships, I read books (that weren’t required reading for a class . . . gasp), I took the time to enjoy God’s creation and felt His presence—in the quiet countryside of New Zealand.
This trip forced me to slow down. For a month, I enjoyed one of the most beautiful places in the world and went through more than 20 rolls of film. (I didn’t have a digital camera yet.)
I encountered God in New Zealand, and when I returned to Boston my new perspective continued. I still enjoyed the New England lifestyle, but I began appreciating the beauty around me. I made regular visits to the beach and park near my college campus, began capturing God’s creation through photography and carved out time in my day for silent moments with God.
God Never Changes
Before I went to New Zealand, I struggled with Old Testament stories in which God seemed so apparent. He appeared to Moses in a burning bush, walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, and made an intimate covenant with Abraham. I couldn’t understand why a God so readily available to believers in the Old Testament seemed so distant in my every day surroundings.
After a month in the green hills of New Zealand, I began to realize God is just as apparent today as He was back then. In 1 Kings, God’s voice came to Elijah in a “gentle whisper.” He didn’t come as an earthquake or fire. The disconnection I was feeling with God was not because God had changed, but because I simply hadn’t taken the time to see Him or hear Him.
Encountering God (Trip to New Zealand Not Required)
You don’t need to travel to New Zealand to encounter God the way I encountered Him. God wants to speak to you in a gentle whisper every day.
I took a month in New Zealand, but you can take time right where you live. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Look for parks, gardens, or beautiful landscapes around your city or town. Take time to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation.
- Instead of listening to your MP3 player or texting while you are traveling somewhere, enjoy the beauty around you by looking out the window.
- Take time to listen to God’ gentle whisper in your life. Get up a few minutes earlier each morning and enjoy the peaceful sounds of a quiet home.
- Find beauty in your own backyard. Search for something you have never noticed before: a bird’s nest, a budding flower, or a unique tree. You’ll be surprised how many remarkable creations are in your own backyard. If you’re an artist, draw or paint the hidden treasure you discovered.
- Read through the Creation story. Consider Adam and Eve’s close relationship with God. Knowing that God is just as close today as He was in the beginning, find ways to create intimate time with your Creator.
Rachel McPherson is an East Coast soul living in the Midwest. She loves writing, photography, and working alongside her husband, Jason, in youth ministry.