My daughter Charis and her husband invited us to join them on a quick getaway to Atlanta. Once there, we would take in the Georgia Aquarium and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

The motive was a Do-Over of her senior trip that never happened due to a breach in our relationship. It was also on our shared bucket list to see the whale shark. And we all needed a vacation. But God had much more in store than any of this.

My senses simply could not take in all the beauty. The diversity of plants. And water species. And humans. The color combinations of petals, the giant wingspan of the rays, and the laughter and tears of children were— as Charis put it— “overstimulating.”

From the tiniest of details of high altitude orchids to the massive movement of the whale shark, I could not contain the creative power and infinitesimal precision of God. I mean, every bloom and leaf, scale and fin revealed his majesty and whimsy.

I ambled through the botanical gardens and breathed deeply of an air that was purer than any I have known. Everywhere my eyes landed was a feast of God’s delight. How could we ever question this Divine Artist playfully dabbling in paint and clay?

And the family time. The purposeful conversations, shared memories, and giggles. My heart burned within me as I listened to my stunning and vibrant daughter talk about God and her dreams. The healing of relationships that were not just restored, but resurrected. Life from Death.

It seems like we love to dumb down Easter with bunnies and candy. Or, we hyper focus on the grim suffering of the Cross (for which I am eternally grateful). But we sometimes forget, or worse, underestimate the Power that brought Jesus out of that grave.

Radical Love.

Heaven on display.

The Risen Son and an Empty Grave.

I tell you, I witnessed that power this weekend. It felt like walking the paths of Heaven where beauty and life abounds. Not merely nature. But God’s creative, explosive, purposeful LIFE giving power expressed through every flower, fish and human.