How?

Disclaimer:
If you do not want to read about my thinking on faith, creation, and other theological points, please, feel free to pass on this post. It is not meant to be controversial or spark debate. Mm-kay? Thanks. :)


Sitting in a laundromat gives a person time to think. I think I actually had (or maybe overheard) a conversation before we left St. Louis about doing laundry on vacation and that how it couldn't possibly be vacation if you did laundry. I would disagree. When I'm at my own house, laundry is definitely a monotonous part of life. Start a load of laundry, clean a little, watch some T.V., piddle in the kitchen...

At a laundromat, you put your clothes in and wait...bring a book (or a computer) and settle in for a little while. So that's what I'm doing. And that's not all bad. I'm writing the first part of this post as these thoughts have been rattling around in my brain since the day we got here and solidified as we hiked yesterday. Here it comes...How? Before I go any further, let me say--Jesus saves. Nothing else does. If you want details about my personal faith, feel free to ask; I'd be happy to share. I say that so there is no confusion about the rest of this post. I do not believe that nature can save you or that nature in itself is spiritual. Now...with that being said...

I do believe that being in God's creation can bring you to a place where you have to ask, "Who?" I am absolutely a firm believer that God created us as curious, thinking beings. Science is crucial to who we are as we continue to ask questions about the physical world around us, but when it comes to the questions that every human being asks at one point or another, "What is my purpose? Why do I exist?" I think science falls short. There are some who think that science can answer those questions and others who don't even think it should try. I took a quiz on Facebook (don't judge) that tested my 8th grade science knowledge. I did really well--don't mean to brag, but I got 100%. Now if we had moved to 9th grade science, I may have been in over my head. :) We are all scientist to some extent as we explore the world around us, but I definitely leave the heavy lifting to the experts.

However...

I don't know how, really, I don't know how anyone could spend time in the mountains and think that the creation of this Earth was all one big coincidence--a cosmic crapshoot that happened because atoms just happened to have the right conditions and just happened to form more complicated organisms...you know how it goes...

I know there are many circumstances that lead people to ask the big questions about existence--the birth of a child and near death experiences come to mind...I've had neither. But I've been to the mountains. I don't know a single person who has been able to adequately describe them (in pictures or in words). There is a feeling. It happens at first sight. It happens as you get closer. It happens when you hike among them. It happens every time...I am small. It was especially evident standing towards the bottom of Death Canyon staring up at the towering granite faces. However, while I feel small, I don't feel insignificant--quite the opposite, in fact. Because I know, that even after He made all the things of this earth, He made me in the image of Him. His creation He deemed good...but He loves me most of all. That's quite humbling.

I am truly in awe (and I can certainly over- and mis-use the word awesome) that not only did He create these in all their glory (please indulge me a few more mountain pictures):

He also created these...

and these...

and these...

The wildflowers are everywhere! The little yellow ones are each about the size of a BB! He created them. Right along side the ridiculously large mountains. That actually makes me chuckle. The order of things, the "interconnectedness" of it all? I just can't believe that there is not a Creator. When I read Romans 1:20, "For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse." I cannot help but think that the mountains are part of "what has been made." They call out to us and ask, "Can you not see the splendor in our creation?" Most importantly, though, the creation points to the Creator...

How? How can you not believe?

On a completely different note...

We had dinner tonight at a place called The Local--best meal I've had since Bluestem. See pics in the link on the right.