In the article I mentioned last week concerning research done by the Sierra Club, REI, and the University of Berkeley, the researchers found an interesting correlation between emotional healing and the experience of those who came out into the wilderness.
The researchers found that the more awe was experienced by a participant, the greater the emotional and mental healing of that participant.
Awe, in this case, had the power to heal emotional trauma, as well as reduce stress levels.
God gave us the ability to be in awe. He created us in such a way that we would be in awe when we see Him and when we see the things that He created, whether or not we know Him, personally.
The wilderness stimulates awe in us because there is a bit of God in everything that He has made – His fingerprints are all over His creation, much like an artist leaves his or her signature brush strokes on a painting. There is something in us that responds to God with awe.
We were created to be in awe of God, in awe of His works, in awe of what He has done. If we were created for that, it makes some amount of sense that being in awe would reduce the negative in us and result in positive.
Veterans in the initial study found a 35% reduction in PTSD symptoms after rafting through a beautiful area of California, a result that is as good as or better than many medications.
Opening up our heart to the awe of the wilderness is more than just something fun; it can be instrumental in our health. How like God to provide us with what we need to overcome the curse brought by Adam and Eve and to find healing in Him and in His creation, accessible to almost everyone on earth!
