Grace on the Road

This morning we set out a bit later than usual. Our only agenda was to make it to our hotel in Jerome in time for bed. We had determined just to stop where the mood struck us. And that is how we came to be at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City, OR.

I knew about the Oregon Trail from high school history classes. But I didn’t really have much information. Somehow, just being in the country these intrepid souls had to cross gave me a new appreciation for the settling of the northwest, as well as some insights into my own journey through life.

I learned today that the covered wagons called Prairie Schooners in which the settlers traveled were not really big at all, smaller, in fact, than a standard minivan.

They had no shock absorbers of any kind, not even rusty springs. So every bump was keenly felt. And the ground was extremely rocky.

Dense sagebrush was everywhere, and had to be cleared out of the way. It could be hiding all manner of hazards.

(The dark line on the right across the rise in the middle of the picture is actually part of the Oregon Trail. The ruts carved by the wagons are still visible.)

The journey from Missouri to Oregon took six months, on average, traveling between ten and twenty miles per day. Most people walked most of the way because the wagons were uncomfortable and also crowded with supplies for the journey. One in ten who started the trip died along the way. There were graves all along the trail, one about every 80 yards. It sounds grim. First hand accounts indicate that it was!

So why go? Because of the promise of wonderful country waiting at the end of the journey. Does this sound familiar?

When we set out to follow Christ, to walk in His way, many of us were not told of the many hazards and other difficulties that lie in wait for us along the path of discipleship. Some of us, particularly from earlier ages, were told, but set out anyway. Along the way, we encounter trial after trial. Many prove fatal, at least in a spiritual sense. Many fall away along the trail. The way is littered with things we’ve had to discard because they proved too much to carry, especially unhealthy attitudes and bitter disappointments. Writers such as Egeria, Tolkien, Hurnard, and Bunyan have given us some sense of the weighty challenges and immense obstacles we will face along the way.

So why go? Why continue without turning back? Because of what awaits us at the end of the road. Isn’t this what drew the settlers along the Oregon Trail? Isn’t this what draws us?

When we arrived in Jerome this evening, we went to a local diner for supper. When we left, just before sunset, there was a light mist. And when we turned around, there was a spectacular double rainbow.

From where I stood, one end of the rainbow seemed to come from a little white steepled church.

It was a beautiful seal on the end of a long day of driving. Perhaps I am being fanciful. But it was as though the Lord was saying, “Yes, the journey is worth the trouble. Come, follow Me!”

”Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”
—James 1:12

Most mornings I ask the Lord, “What would You like me to notice today?” I generally don’t “hear” a response. But things do seem to catch my eye. Often, by the end of the day, a theme has emerged, usually with an accompanying lesson or bit of wisdom to ponder. Most days this is a fairly natural process. Today was not one of those days.

Our first real stop of the day was Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls, Idaho.

It was surprisingly difficult to find! We made a few wrong turns, descended part way into the Snake River Canyon on a very steep road, and eventually found ourselves at a lovely park overlooking the falls.

On this trip, particularly once we reached the western states, beauty and inhospitable settings seem to have frequently gone hand in hand. Perhaps that’s why these places have remained beautiful. They are too hostile to allow humans to move in and mess them up. But today I noticed that other life seems to thrive in these places.

Shoshone Falls is magnificent and powerful. It has been called the Niagara of the West. To stand safely behind a guardrail on the rim of the canyon allows one to enjoy the falls and the rainbow that appears in the mist when the sun emerges from behind the clouds.

But to go anywhere near the falls themselves, above or below, would be suicidal.

And yet there was life. Enough algae grew on the rocks over which the water rushes to give the water a green appearance. Small plants and mosses are abundant on the rocks.

Speaking of rocks… The Snake River has cut a deep gorge into the earth. The rocks on either side of the canyon are worn but steep.

Climbing them would be a challenge for even the most experienced rock climbers. It would be the height of foolhardiness for ordinary mortals to even attempt such a feat!

And yet there was life. Not only were plants and even trees growing from any available crevice. Birds of many varieties were nesting in holes in the rocks, high up on the cliffs.

“Even the swallow has found a home for her young.”
—Psalm 84:3

Later in the day we made the drive to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. The park spreads across 618 square miles and is almost entirely lava fields from volcanic activity in the area as recently as 2,000 years ago. I have never in my life seen such desolate terrain. It was like being on another planet.

And yet there was life. Lichens had colonized much of the gravelly areas in isolated tufts resembling cotton balls.

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Grasses and sagebrush and even limber pines have taken root in crevices. Every now and then a lone tree would stand proudly on top of an isolated peak.

Even a few brave flowers nestled in the rocks.

We drove through mile after mile of undeveloped land with little to see but seemingly endless plains of sagebrush. Still there were signs warning us to watch for “game crossing”.

What is the lesson in all of this for me today? Life is a powerful force! The God of the universe made our planet such that life could flourish even against seemingly impossible odds. Death may seem to gain the upper hand for a while. But, in the end, the life blessed by our Creator wins out.

All of this speaks to me of the value of life. All of life. How am I living the one life I’ve been given? With gratitude or with carelessness? Do I appreciate and nurture the gift of life, wherever I find it?

Lead me on your path, O Lord!

Today more than made up for yesterday. Most mornings, as I have mentioned, I ask the Lord what He would like me to notice that day. Today it was as if He was saying, “Look at this!” Over and over again. All day long. Two themes dominated the day: wildlife and geology.

We spent the night in the National Elk Refuge in a room with a view across open grasslands. When we awoke this morning, we were greeted by a friendly moose grazing just across the road from our porch.

And before we left for breakfast we spotted a herd of elk. (My iPhone does a better job with close up photography, but I did manage to capture a few black and tan dots…)

After breakfast, a lovely mule deer doe met us near the Visitor Center in Jackson Hole…

..along with a couple of ducks…

…and a cute little ground squirrel.

And then we drove into Grand Teton National Park. How can I even begin to describe the beauty of this place? There simply are no words. The action of tectonic plates shifting thrust up these mountains with a magnitude of force I can’t even comprehend. My college geology classes taught me the theory. But the reality is…well…beyond description.

We were so absorbed by the majesty of the Tetons that we nearly missed the herd of buffalo grazing on the other side of the road. I’m so glad we thought to turn around!

Sometimes we can be so consumed with the big stuff that we can miss what is right in front of us. (Isn’t there a life lesson in there somewhere?) We nearly missed the ground squirrel who was standing sentinel by one of the scenic overlooks. He was a curious little guy. He would dart into his hole, but kept popping out to see what was going on.

As we left the park we were commenting that we had seen three of the big four animals in the Tetons: moose, elk, and bison. We thought it would be a wonderful thing to see a bear, but we really didn’t expect to since bears are not as common here as in Yellowstone. But then it was as if God said, “You want bear? Look at this!” And we came upon a mother grizzly bear and her two cubs romping in the snow.

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We crossed the Continental Divide in the late afternoon.

And suddenly we were in a whole new world. Volcanic rocks gave way to jagged peaks of sedimentary rocks.

In no time at all, we were in a gentler (but still dramatic) landscape of weathered sandstone.

And then we came to Dubois, Wyoming and encountered some mule deer…

…and a couple of giant jackalopes! Yes, apparently they really do exist!

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The road took us through a canyon of dramatic red rock formations where signs warned us to be on the lookout for bighorn sheep. We missed the sheep, but the rocks were stunning!

Suddenly, we were back in the sagebrush desert, and the pronghorn antelope came out to play. We saw these guys (and gals) by the dozens, all the way from Dubois to Casper, grazing alone and in herds, by themselves and right alongside cattle. (Funny thing, though. We saw no roadkill. Are they smart enough to stay out of the road?)

About 40 miles west of Casper, we came across Hell’s Half Acre, a geologic oddity for sure. It is a canyon covering about 320 acres filled with caves and rocks eroded into strange shapes, as one might imagine on an alien world. In fact, it was used as the location of the planet Klendathu in the movie, Starship Troopers. I can see why!

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Eventually we arrived in Casper, Wyoming for the night and had a chance to reflect on the day and all the incredible things we had seen. God spoke to us through His magnificent creation over and over again. He showed us wonder after wonder. Despite all of mankind’s ingenuity and all the technical marvels man has devised over the millennia, no one has ever come close to replicating the wonders of creation.

These words from Job pretty much sum up how I am feeling as I retire this evening:

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds of the sky, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.”
—Job 12:7-10