Can you see God in Iceland?

When someone murdered my son, Luke, in 2017, I had to go to court for the murder trial. My husband, mom, brother-in-law, and I attended the preliminary hearing. My son’s killer kept looking back at me, and I felt like it was the devil himself shooting daggers through my heart.

Unfortunately, the hearing got rescheduled because the defense was unprepared.

I was so upset that I did not want to go back to the second hearing. I was missing Luke terribly and did not know how to deal with my loss even though I felt that Luke was in heaven with God. But I would never know for sure until I got to heaven myself to see it with my own eyes.

Can you see God in Iceland? I hope so because I am going to try.

I decided that the only way I would be able to stop myself from attending the second hearing was if I wasn’t physically able to get there. So I left the country to ensure that I didn’t change my mind. I chose to take a trip to Iceland, hoping to find God there.

Since I felt Luke was in heaven, I would feel close to him if I could see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) in heaven (sky). That was one of the few trips that I had on my bucket list. Since no one was able to go with me, I went alone.

Will God see me on short notice?

On September 18th, I booked my trip, flying out on September 22nd on the red-eye. I did not want to go all the way to Iceland and not see the Northern Lights, so I allotted eight nights to see them. I felt that if God wanted to comfort me, he would meet me in Iceland and show me his power. Are you on the edge of your seat waiting to see how I saw God many times in Iceland?

God sent me an angel.

I flew out of Pittsburgh Friday night. I left work around noon, drove straight to the airport, and waited at my gate until it was time to board the plane. While sitting there, a young gentleman named Joseph started talking to me. He reminded me of my son. They were around the same age.

He asked me if I had ever been to Iceland, and I told him that this was my first trip. He wanted to know if I knew anything about the Golden Circle since he reserved a car and planned to go there. I asked him if he wanted some company since I had the driving directions printed. We decided to meet when we landed.

Will my angel be there to help me see God in Iceland?

When I got off the plane, I didn’t know if my angel would be waiting for me, and I didn’t want to impose, but if he wanted the company, that would be great. I was nervous about being alone, anyway. I know what you are thinking. How could I feel safer being with a stranger than being alone in Iceland?

God will protect me and show me his glory through this stranger, my angel.

I am a very trusting person. As my husband would say, too naive, I see the good in everyone, and I always try to help people. I was trying to find the sign to baggage claim when I saw Joseph sitting on a bench. He yelled for me.

We retrieved his rental car and headed for the Golden Circle after stopping at my apartment. It felt like my son was in the car with me instead of Joseph, which was the first way I saw God in Iceland.

It costs money to see God in Iceland.

I heard that everything was costly in Iceland, so I rented an apartment in Reykjavik for the first four nights. It had a full kitchen, and I was planning on saving money by cooking. It was on the third floor of an apartment building, and the owner met us at the door to let us in.

She handed my bag to my son, I mean Joseph, to carry since it was heavy. She gave me the strangest look when I told her that I had just met Joseph. I knew I was naïve. I knew what I was doing could’ve been very dangerous, which is why I didn’t tell my husband my plans. She went over the map with us, giving us pointers on things that only a local would know, and then she left.

I saw God’s splendor while driving through Iceland.

The drive through the splendor of Iceland was one of a kind. Joseph and I kept looking at each other and yelling, “We are in Iceland!” Then we would laugh at ourselves. We made it to the Golden Circle a few hours later, and we traded phones so we could take pictures of each other all day. That way, we each had a personal photographer.

What should you wear in Iceland?

I grabbed the backpack that I had thrown together, and we left for our hike. It was beautiful and sunny, but then five minutes later, there was a torrential downpour. The wind blew so much that it made it difficult to get my raincoat on.

Then it started hailing so hard that it hurt as it bounced off our skin. At one point, my raincoat blew off, and I couldn’t get it back on. Since I didn’t have waterproof pants, I was completely soaked, and I was shivering, but I remembered my raincoat.

We didn’t let the weather ruin our trip, though. I followed Joseph’s lead and stood over the crevice where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates met. I was lucky that the wind didn’t blow me into the earth. My husband lectured me later, saying that I could’ve died, but I wasn’t thinking, and I didn’t care if I died because a murderer broke my heart by killing my only child.

God shows his presence to me.

Joseph and I got to see geysers, tons of lava rocks, caves, and a massive waterfall. When the rain finally stopped while we were at the waterfall, I saw God in the beautiful rainbow over the waterfall, and I felt Luke’s presence. Then God whispered in my ear through the roar of the waterfall that he was with me. I knew then that God had never left me or ever would, and that made me cry tears of joy.

We stopped at a store so Joseph could get coffee to keep himself awake since he was the one driving and had stayed awake all night on the plane. I looked around for pants in the store. My legs were frozen, and I truly wished I would’ve thought to bring a change of pants with me. I found a pair of waterproof pants for sale, but they were $185. I bit the bullet and bought them because I was that cold even though I usually am very frugal.

After many hours touring all those places, we headed back toward Reykjavik. It took a few hours to drive back, and we were both exhausted. Joseph kept falling asleep while he was driving, and I kept waking him up. It was an exhausting, wonderful, exhilarating, beautiful, magical day, all in one. I went to bed around midnight.

A day in Reykjavik.

The next day, I walked to the center of town to a used clothing store. I bought a waterproof coat for only $40; it would be worth every penny if I had to go through another day like I had yesterday. Then I walked all over Reykjavik, ending the day by touring Perlan, where I learned all about the glaciers.

God helps me conquer one of my fears.

In Perlan, I conquered my claustrophobia and went inside an ice cave. When I first went in, the guide asked if anyone was claustrophobic, and I said I was. Staying at the end of the line and I was able to explore after everyone else moved on. I was able to get amazing photos and a few of me in the cave. I am proud of myself for holding God’s invisible hand and conquering my fear by letting him lead me through the cave.

Can I see God in Iceland? You better believe I did in the most fantastic way possible.

The next day the professional photographer I hired for the Northern Lights tour called in the morning. He told me that we would be going to see the Northern Lights that evening.

God showed me his tremendous power on top of the world, literally.

I packed a bag and wore my waterproof pants and several clothing layers so I wouldn’t get cold. I didn’t want a repeat of that freezing feeling that I had that first day. Let it happen once, it was shame on Iceland, but twice would be shame on Tammy.

When we got out of the car, God was waiting to show us his magnificent creation. The sky started dancing with bright lights that kept getting brighter and brighter. I hugged the guide, who I had told about my son earlier, and said that I felt Luke talked to God and asked for a spectacular show, and it was magnificent! I cried.

My guide took my picture in front of the lights, which I will treasure forever.

Will I see God again at the top of a glacier?

My last day in Reykjavik was spent taking a bus tour to the south side of Iceland, where I got to climb a glacier and see more beautiful waterfalls. I even got to go behind one of the waterfalls since I was willing to do the steep climb. I was afraid of heights, but I did it anyway because God was holding my hand.

God helped me conquer my fears.

The trip was all about me, conquering my fears and feeling God’s strength in me. The glacier terrified me. I almost backed out. I was stomping so hard to make sure that my clamp-ons were secure in the ice before taking each step. Everyone else was walking without any worries. It was raining at the time, and that was making everything a lot slicker, and I didn’t want to slide off the iceberg.

When I reached the top of the iceberg, I felt God right there with me. I was so proud of myself! A few people took pictures of me so that I would remember my accomplishment. I could practically feel Luke patting me on the back.

I need God’s comfort to stop me from missing my son.

For my final four days in Iceland, I stayed at a hotel in the country next to the Blue Lagoon, a famous spa in Iceland, and took pictures of it. I passed a woman and her son walking into the spa. The boy was about Luke’s age. I completely lost it.

I broke down and cried hysterically! People probably thought I was crazy, but I couldn’t help it since I would never have that chance to walk like that with Luke again since he was gone, and I couldn’t change it.

I was all alone with no one to hug, and I never felt more alone in my entire life than I did at that very moment! Why was I in Iceland at the top of the world all by myself? But I wasn’t alone; I again felt God with me. He says in the Bible that He will never leave you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

At my new hotel, I woke up every night and walked outside, where it was dark to watch the Northern Lights. I went to the Blue Lagoon, an enormous hot tub-like pool that was hot and steamy. Several families had their kids with them, so I started crying because I was all alone.

I was gravely missing Luke. The frigid air hurt when I got out, so I changed back into my clothes and walked back to the hotel, which was a twenty-minute walk.

Can you see God in Iceland?

I flew home from Iceland, not wanting to leave; I knew I would go back someday! God boarded the plane with me, and I now know you can see God in Iceland or anywhere else because God is everywhere.

Where do you see God?