I took a quick trip to Montana this weekend to research a future kindness project.

Before I left, my husband said, “Enjoy the mountains!”

Although I’ve driven through mountains before, I don’t recall staying in a place where I could just sit and see them.

I got off the plane in Missoula and hopped in a rental car. I drove an hour to the cabin. Along the way, the storefronts became fewer and fewer until it was just me and the road. My handy GPS led me to the remote cabin I was borrowing from a friend. I punched in the access code and let myself in.

I looked out the window and saw trees beyond trees. The log cabin was cozy and I settled in to work.

It was bizarre, being so far removed from everyone and everything.

The next day, I went for a walk. I was looking around thinking, These mountains aren’t so huge, they’re sort of like really large hills. I wonder why people make such a big deal about them.

Then I turned around. The Bitterroots, part of the Rocky Mountain range, stood majestically in front of me.

My heart stopped for just a moment as I realized I had almost missed them.

The entire drive from the airport to the cabin, I was surrounded by mountains, but I was so concerned about watching for road signs and wild animals that I didn’t see them.

Then when I got in the cabin, I was so intent on getting to work that I glanced out the window, but only saw the brush and trees that lined the little road.

Mountains are like so many other beautiful things in life. They won’t call for you, or yell “Look at me! Here I am!” They simply wait to be noticed.

Once I saw the mountains, I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. I sat and just stared through the picture window trying to visualize how big of a God it would take to create something so immense. And then I realized, that same God cares about something so small, like me. And you.

Ask God to open your eyes. Ask Him to show you what you’re missing. It might be something important or useful or just plain beautiful.

You don’t want to miss it.