Years ago, my wife and I went on an ATV trip in mid-July, negotiating part of the Alpine Loop in southwestern Colorado. The trail was challenging but not dangerous. Working our way over the rocks and ruts, we steadily climbed above the tree line at about 12,000 feet. There the trail leveled off and we arrived at our planned destination.
Looking off to our left, nestled between the mountain peaks, was a lovely alpine meadow called the American Basin. We were told about its beauty, and we were not disappointed. The meadow bloomed with wildflowers and a stream, fed by the runoff from the snow still on the peaks ahead, gently flowed through it. Crossing the creek to get further into the meadow, we looked up on the distant peaks and saw a prospector with his pack mule slowly making his way up a twisting trail far in the distance.
It was a place of tranquil beauty unspoiled by noisy people, picnic tables or manufactured objects. Once we shut off our ATVs, the only sound was that of the creek as it made its way over the rocks. It was a moment of peace. Resting from the effort of our climb, we soaked in the solitude and natural beauty displayed around us. We even took a few moments to dream of living in the meadow. We could picture a small log cabin in the middle of the flowers, smoke lazily drifting from the fireplace as we sat in rocking chairs on the front porch, sipping our mugs of coffee and gazing at the distant mountains. However, afternoon storms are typical at this season and elevation, so we knew we could not stay long. We needed to head back down below the tree line before it arrived.
Dreaming is enjoyable, but the reality is even Alpine meadows do not continuously bloom with flowers. After a few short months of spring and summer, winter sets in and no one would be sitting on the front porch of their cabin. It is the same with life’s meadows. They are a welcome part of our life journey but are usually brief. They give us a moment of awe and wonder, a glimpse of something not yet, a taste of what we lost back in the first chapters of Genesis, and a hope of what will be restored at the coming of our King. Then the meadows are gone and a new landscape of life arrives.
Mt. Meadow Landscape
My picture of life’s meadows is like the Alpine American Basin filled with wildflowers, soft sunshine, peace, and quiet with no freeways, skyscrapers, or congestion. The air is clear, the temperature warm, and the humidity low. But that is just me. You may have a different picture and that is OK. Paint your own equivalent landscape as we take a moment to travel through the “mountain meadow landscape”.
Life’s mountain meadows are places for spiritual, emotional, and physical refreshment. They are places where we have a sense of “it doesn’t get any better than this” – at least not this side of heaven. There is not only the presence of beauty but the absence of what is unpleasant. We are at peace; joy is felt but hard to express (1 Peter 1:6-8). But as wonderful as it is, we usually will not spend much time in the meadow before moving on. Of all the landscapes, our stay in this one seems disappointingly brief.
The cosmos
Several mountain meadows come to mind as I think through the biblical storyline. The Psalmist shares a mountain meadow moment in Psalms 8.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have set in place; What is man that You think of him, And a son of man that You are concerned about him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You have him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the animals of the field, The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:3-9)
For the Psalmist, creation stirred awe in his heart with humble gratitude … as it should for us.
The Transfiguration
Jesus took three original disciples to a “high mountain” where he was transfigured before them (Matt. 17:1+). We are told that his garments became “radiant and exceedingly white,” Elijah and Moses appeared, dialoguing with Jesus, and a voice is heard from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to him.” It had to be a “wow” moment for those three Hebrew men.
Peter’s response was (my paraphrase), “It does not get any better than this! Let’s set up camp and stay for a while.” But the meadow was only a short respite. Descending the mountain meadow, they were quickly back on the battlefield, encountering a man with a lunatic son and nine frustrated disciples.
The Emmaus Road
Christ’s post-resurrection appearance to Cleopas and his friend as they walked on the road to Emmaus was another mountain meadow. For a short time, these men were in the presence of the risen Christ as he explained the historical narrative of the gospel message. As evening approached, they wanted to linger in the meadow, urging this stranger to stay longer. But after dinner, he left. Having finally recognized the stranger as Christ, they returned to their ordinary lives with the reflection, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” (The good kind of heartburn).
Mary experienced a mountain meadow when Christ came to visit her and Martha. Time flew by as she sat at his feet, listening to his words. On the other hand, Martha missed it with her preoccupation with responsibility and duty. Jesus’ gentile rebuke to Martha was over her choice not to spend a moment in the meadow (Luke 10:38-42).
Over 5,000 people had a meadow experience one day as they sat on the hillside listening to Jesus teach about the kingdom. Their hearts were touched, and their sick were healed; time flew by. In the meadow, they forgot about their hunger until the disciples finally brought it up. The day ended with a surprise dinner and enough food for a “to-go” box. Like all mountain meadows, it did not last long, but I can imagine they talked about it for a long time.
God shows up
In the mountain meadow, God often appears as our Good Shepherd, leading us into green pastures. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1-3). In the meadow, the Good Shepherd restores our souls and refreshes our spirits.
He may also show up as the grand Creator, God Almighty, El Elohim, the One who does above and beyond what we could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). In the meadow, we are overwhelmed by his grace and love and our unworthiness of it.
Response
In the landscape of the meadow, we feel a unique sense of joy and contentment. It may not be in the total absence of conflict, but it is like an oasis in the desert, a moment when nothing else matters. We feel a sense of joy and tranquility, the temporary absence of conflict, anxiety, and adversity, a moment we would like to stay in forever. In the mountain meadow, we experience a moment of rest, joy, and happiness that dominates all other landscapes.
We need to be careful not to miss the meadow moments in which we learn to rest, relax, and take a deep breath. In those times, praise and thanksgiving flow naturally and spontaneously as we experience God’s greatness and recognize our own personal inadequacy. It is a time in which we can exchange our hurried agendas for a look around at the meadow, enjoying it to the fullest.
Jesus had the mountain meadow in mind when he said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).
Here is a quick summary of the landscapes we have considered so far:
| Landscape | Affect I feel…… | God’s touch God is my…. | Our response I need to…… | Scripture |
| Storms | helpless, fear, overwhelmed | Deliverer, Anchor, Shelter, Sustainer | hold on, wait, hope | Isa. 25:4; Matt. 7:24+ Ps. 107:28-32; Ecc. 11:5 Isa. 64:4 |
| Battlefields | threatened, fear, vulnerable | Fortress, Defender, Protector, Shield | fight, armor up, flee, | Eph. 2:2-3, 6:13; Jam. 4:7 1 Peter 5:8; Matt. 4:1-11 |
| Thorn Country | trapped, fear, guilt, weak, hopeless | Provider, El Shaddai, All-Sufficient One | wait, remember, hope, be content | 2 Cor. 12:7+; Jn. 13:7 Jn. 19:5 |
| Mountain Meadows | humbled, contentment joy, awe, wonder | Creator, Shepherd, | praise, express gratitude, rest | Psa. 8; 145, Matt. 11:28-29 |
For Reflection:
1. Describe a time when you felt you were in a mountain meadow of life.
2. In what other ways does God show up in the meadow?