Highway Insights (Part 4)- Creation’s Hidden Agenda

When the world pandemic pressed life’s pause button, school and work as we knew it ended, sporting events were cancelled, graduation ceremonies foregone. But nature never missed a beat. The squirrels kept scurrying for acorns, trees went thru their seasons, beavers kept building their dams…. I know this, because my family witnessed it across all corners of the country. (In fact, in an ironic twist, the environment seemed to thrive without the presence of excess emissions and waste from our illustrious inventions.) As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, we were often asked if we were still going on the RV trip because COVID theoretically closed everything.. news flash, God’s creation never shut down. Sure the national park visitors centers and other popular sites had necessary restrictions, but no mountain top ever told me to stay 6 feet away and the industrious robin who built a nest on the rear tire of my truck didn’t care if I wore a mask or not. Interesting when you think about it. Everything man had built was disrupted, but everything in the Creator’s world was uninterrupted. So while the country screamed at election results, sprinted to zoom meetings or stressed over a lack of toilet paper, we withdrew to the solitude of a non-discriminatory world that often goes unappreciated when preoccupied by the stresses of ‘normal’ life. 

So now I sit here with you and try to think about what makes creation so special? Notice I use the word creation instead of Mother Nature or some other superfluous label that fails to give credit to the artist who came up with these amazing masterpieces. It may seem like a subtle distinction but creation implies that there is a Creator and perhaps that distinction is actually the main point -  to fully understand the powerful impact that the natural world has on our souls we have to acknowledge it was the result of an intelligent designer. While at our campsite in the Rockies, sitting at 9000 feet of elevation, I could see with the naked eye countless stars, meteors and planets. But that was only half the show…. I peered thru my binoculars and twice as many celestial bodies came into view— in Full HD!  The vastness, the timelessness, the order- for man’s entire history those stars have been present and guided us to new islands, distant lands, or even a lowly manger. I’ve come to realize that nature is a window that provides glimpses of a sovereign creator.  Whether a soothing summer sunset, a herd of bison crossing the prairie, or the multitude of colors represented by the various leaves of a New England fall— nature’s wonders provide clear evidence of royal sovereignty. Even the rocks cry out. 

Prior to leaving the military, Nikki and I attended an incredible program for folks transitioning out of the service. The Station Foundation holds their program in the forested canyon of the Gallatin river- no cell service, no noise, just you and nature. Their secret sauce is removing you from the busy world, bringing in people that make you think, and then allowing nature to shape your thoughts. From Storm Castle Peak we were gifted with a 360 degree view of untouched beauty; for those of us leaving the military, it represented transition, rebirth, and new beginning. Bringing my family there on the RV trip afforded them a similar experience. I took them on the memorial hike where they were able to see the same incredible views Nikki and I had witnessed one year before (including the one on our home page). As our family collectively took in the ambience, we realized that these solemn moments in nature give us hope for the future, to live in eager anticipation of what lies beyond the next Ridgeline. In essence, Creation is a preview of a better world. No more tears, no more suffering, no more bursting pipes in the RV.   

Interestingly enough, everything humanity builds or engineers fails to deliver an equivalent experience. In fact, we have been forced to put limits on man’s endeavors to prevent the destruction of nature (Thank you Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir and others who’s initiatives preserved these experiences for future generations). While at Glacier NP (again, if you have to go to one national park in your life this is the one) I overheard one tourist comment that ‘they should build a big parking structure here to make parking easier’, I think she may have missed the point. Daniel, at six, already understands the difference between nature and man-made things. We were hiking in the Kolob region of Zion NP along a winding creek, I noticed some rocks that formed a perfect staircase. As I pointed them out to DK, he immediately (and correctly) stated that they were manmade. At age 6 he was able to easily discern the difference between creation or manmade structures. One of the things that has become apparent on this trip is that Creation overshadows the ‘greatness’ of our constructed world. Now I’ve been to some amazing man-made structures throughout the world. We walked across the Golden Gate Bridge on this trip and it was absolutely an amazing feat to complete the project. But for some reason it doesn’t conjure up the same emotions as starting of multiple 14000 foot peaks of the Sawatch mountains- take a trip there and I think you’ll agree. 

Finally, we have observed animals engaged in their routine daily activities. Early in the morning in the Black Hills of South Dakota we were able to see a family of mule deer habitually partaking in their morning breakfast of shrubs and water. There was a bald eagle constructing her nest in the treeline above our RV park. And we noticed a flock of geese shepherding their young goslings (baby geese) along the bank of the Colorado River. Food, shelter, family (or more importantly preserving the next generation). When we get frantic with soccer practice, the next promotion, where we are going to vacation, it’s helpful to look to these creatures to hone our focus on the the things that matter and more importantly the things that don’t. Creation dictates our “must do” list for our daily routine. Raise your hand if you’re like me and are guilty of being overcome by unnecessary tasks. Nature gives you the remedy. And, if you have food and a place to live, well then I guess all you need to worry about is your family and friends.

 During this trip, we’ve tried to capture Creation’s essence in photos and blogs, but to be honest the only real way to appreciate it is to experience it. “But I live in a city!” Drive. “But I have no car!” Carpool. “But I have no one that wants to go with me!” I will. It’s that important. Periodically immersing ourselves in the Creator’s world affords us the ability to see our Creator, to deal with global chaos in a renewed sense of hope, and to prioritize our lives. Word of caution- we aren’t advocating disappearing into the woods and avoiding all human contact, remember our main focal point on this trip was reconnecting with friends and family. We need people, supportive people, in our lives. But there is value in momentary monastery-like immersions in the temple of nature. So the next time you are planning a family vacation or looking for a weekend outing, would you consider trekking away from the congestion of freeways , malls and WI-FI to simply go on a hike, swim in a lake, or climb a mountain. I promise you it will be a positive impact, since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—[will be] clearly seen (Romans 1:20).