I had decided some time ago that I wanted to take a short vacation that would simply be inspiring - meaning that it would bring me back even more to my spiritual roots and that it would challenge me in regards to my future work. I was disillusioned with what I saw happening at my job, within the American Church, and with life in general. Inspiration Vacation is my attempt to find that meaning once again.
For Day one I decided to spend my time within God's creation. As a young boy, I was always out in the backyard and countryside enjoying the outdoors. As a teenager, I was fortunate enough to live at a campground which dad managed in the Adirondacks of New York. If you've never been there, go during the fall when the leaves turn among all of those majestic mountains. I loved the many acres of the campground including the small lake and the beavers that lived there and of course the northern pike. I remember often admiring the wildlife and often would stare at the stars at night - it was simply - majestic.
When I visited the two Florida parks and the one small lake that I "happened" to pass on Saturday, June 6th, I was overwhelmed by that beauty once again. From the ducks that followed me around the small lake to the majesty of Florida's tallest waterfall, to the awesomeness of walking through nature's cavern in the Panhandle, and yes even to simply hiking some of the trails, I was reminded once again of the grandeur of creation. It doesn't matter whether one believes in evolution, the Big Bang, or a 6 day creation by God - one must admit how incredibly beautiful and crafted this creation is. Nature is inspiring.
It reminds me of the Biblical passage: The Heavens are declaring the glory of God, and the sky is showing off His handiwork.
But something struck me on Saturday that brought tears to my eyes especially as I was walking through the underground cavern. This cavern and the many caverns (30) around it were formed because at one time Florida (or at least this portion of Florida) was covered in water. I walked into one section of the cavern and there were seashells embedded all over. There was still small pockets of water throughout the cavern. It was awesome to learn about how all of the spikes, as I call them, grow upwards and downwards to form these caves.
Again and again, I heard the word "beautiful" from my fellow tourists. And it was. But then I saw something. It was ugly. It was a sign of destruction. I was reminded of the Grand Canyon near where I lived 30 years ago. It is beautiful to the eye, but it signifies destruction also.
Creation is beautiful, but it groans, it changes, it goes through destructive phases and yet it continues to be beautiful even in a destructed mode. There is beauty in the ashes. There is beauty in the deformed. There is beauty in not being perfect - maybe in spite of not being perfect. Yes, the most beautiful things of this world are not perfect by worldly standards, but when we look at them we do see beauty and we see the glory of God.
Blessings
David
