24 Days Ago,

when I started to come up with expectations for what I thought my summer would be like, I most certainly did not imagine that I’d be packaging soap in a factory for thirty-two hours every week. I had no idea that I’d be sitting in a worn-out booth in a bare-bones mall talking to a Jehovah’s Witness, and that my heart would be broken a little bit. I would have never guessed that I’d come to Juneau, Alaska, and learn that video games can be a really cool way to hear someone’s story. I also didn’t know that the movie Hot Rod was so dang funny. So, just like pools are perfect for holding water, I’d like to tell you how the past couple of weeks have been perfect for holding some fun, challenging experiences.

Looking in the Wrong Place for the Right Thing.

That’s how I’d describe my approach to “seeing God’s glory” lately. If you’ve been reading this blog, or probably just talked to me at all in the past month, you’ve heard me sound off about how gorgeous nature is. “How on earth could someone see the beauty of nature and not think that there’s a wonderful God?” Well, plenty of people don’t think that. I still hold that creation is one of God’s greatest signs to us of himself – the Bible puts it this way in Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome:

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”

(boldface is mine)

It’s an incredible sight to stand on top of a mountain and see the vastness of Earth. A few of us from the project hiked Mount Juneau last Saturday, and the hike up was only part of the reason my breath was taken away. At the summit, we could see the Chilkat Mountains in the distance; they stretched beyond our vision, with some of the tallest peaks hidden in swirls of clouds. If you’re thinking about it, it gives you a sense of just how infinite an infinite God is, if his finite creation is so expansive and unseeable. In every direction, beautiful evergreen forests covered the sides of the mountain range, with ice-clear streams tumbling through the valleys. The intricately detailed beauty of unblemished forests speaks to the original intent of this planet — to be a place of perfect harmony, union with the Creator.

But what if that’s not the point?

I began to notice something as I stood on top of that mountain. I was so caught up in looking out and around, that I failed to look down. By far, that direction held the most beautiful sight. Directly at the foot of Mount Juneau, there sits a city with the same name. It’s full of over 30,000 people made in the image of, to bear the likeness of, the infinite Creator.

Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.
– St. Augustine

Of all nature — from mountains to mole rats to molecules — humanity is the only part of God’s creation that gets to have a personal relationship with him. From the beginning, he makes this point pretty clear:

When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God… and he blessed them.

Genesis 5:3

I’ve often overlooked that WE are the most beautiful piece of what God made. We are whom God loves, desires, and whom God offers rescue from our own mess. Not the mountains, not the bears, and not the Northern Lights. But if you looked at how I’ve thought of and wondered at these lesser creations, you’d think the opposite.

Soap.

It’s one of those things that you don’t really think about that much. It smells good, we like to have it, and that’s about it. I’ve really never thought about how much work, preparation, and time it takes to get a bar of soap to its home beside your sink.

After a week of applying and asking if places were hiring, my dreams of finding a cool summer job in the Alaskan outdoors were starting to crumble. Two weeks ago, I decided to throw the Hail Mary and go job-hunting downtown as a with my roommate, Will O’Brien. We were thinking about which places to stop — we were ideally trying to find a place that was a manly-man job; one that would put some hair on our chests. But we were really ready to take what we could get! We had heard that this little soap shop, run by a nice Christian family, was interested in hiring guys. So, we walked into Glacier Smoothie Soap Company. As soon as we poked our heads into the open door, we were met with a warm smile and a friendly welcome by one of the sweetest ladies I’ve ever met. My heart melted just a little bit. Mrs. Pat, as I’ve come to know her, essentially offered me the job on the spot, and now I have spent the last two weeks learning how to cut, shrink-wrap, package, and sell soap at a family business (shameless & honest plug – if you want some hand-made soap that will change your life and make your palms feel like a baby’s butt, click here). Anyway, I started out searching for a job that will make me look tough and justify this beard I’m trying to grow. I ended up getting a job that makes my hands silky smooth and my natural aroma like a lovely sprinkling of daffodils and lavender. I still wrestle with that decision to some extent, to be honest. I wanted to push myself, physically and spiritually this summer. I imagined sharing the Gospel with a bunch of lumberjacks while leaning on a grizzly bear, but God likes to remind us how our pride is a hilarious thing. I really do think he’s showing me how to love people well (and maybe some subliminal messaging about hygiene).

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

The LORD has established my steps in an amazing place filled with amazing people; it doesn’t make a difference that my preference would have been something else. If God’s really in charge, and I believe with all my heart that he is, something cool is cooking!

In the next post, I’ll be talking about some great conversations Jordan, Alex and I had with a Jehovah’s witness, a dude named Cam, and more! Stay tuned!