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| My daughter takes in the Grand Canyon from North Rim |
Our family recently took a vacation to several National Parks out West. It was a lengthy, ambitious trip as we drove about 5000 miles and spent well over 60 hours in the car. We drove across the arid, desert plains of Iowa and Nebraska, then through the majestic Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Finally arriving in Arizona, we settled in preparation to visit the Parks. I had heard the names of the parks we would visit but I had no idea what I was about to experience. One Scripture that came to mind was what David wrote in Psalms:
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." - Psalm 18:2
Each day I took pictures of the places we visited. I posted the
images along with a scripture from my daily Bible app reading plan on my Facebook page. I was struck by God's amazing creation. The sheer size of these mountains and canyons is mind-boggling. Some towered overhead; Others dropped to precipitous depths.
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| Zion National Park |
Our first visit took us to
Bryce Canyon National Park in Bryce, Arizona. This park featured towering spires, known as "hoodoos" in a natural amphitheater. I ventured down the Navajo Loop trail, which was classified as an "easy" 1-mile hike and it wasn't long before I felt the walls of the canyon surrounding me. I had no difficulty walking down into the canyon, however, as people came back up I noticed their heads down and their breathing labored. I successfully finished the hike, but given my lack of conditioning, I left the other more difficult hikes to those more younger and fit than me.
"In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him." - Psalm 95:4
The next day took us to
Zion National Park in Utah. Zion is known for its incredible hikes and mountain climbing options. One hiking trail, called
Angels Landing, ends up with a series of 21 steep switch-backs and then out onto a narrow pathway where a chain railing has been installed for hikers to hold on to. Only a couple weeks prior to our trip a 14-year-old old girl had lost her footing and fallen to her death while on this trail. Needless to say, we didn't feel up to that hike!
"There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God." 1 Samuel 2:2
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| My view descending the Navajo Loop Trail at Bryce Canyon |
Finally, to wrap up our National Park visits, we drove to the
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. This spectacular mile-deep canyon immediately took my breath away. The reason pictures don't do it justice is simply because of its vastness. I calculated the Grand Canyon was roughly 32 miles long! So, when you do take a picture, you are only capturing a fraction of the entire canyon.
Our trip out West strengthened by Christian faith because I saw first-hand the amazing creation of my God. Scholars may debate how these canyons originally formed, but what remains is that they are there. Their beauty, vastness, and power point me to a God who is indeed omniscient and omnipotent.
