We just got back from a trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. It was quite a lot of fun and spectacular as well. We had prepared for this trip for well over 9 months and it was good to finally be on the road. We went with some dear friends, Belinda and Randall Wittie, and I actually co-teach with Belinda on Tuesday mornings for a Women’s Bible Study. Let’s just say, it was good to live life with family and fellow-believers. I don’t know if riding in the lead truck or being in the car that followed the lead truck was more fun, but we made sure that no one missed out on too much action with the use of our walkie-talkies. We tracked a couple of thousand miles, too many hours to count in the truck/car and snacked and ate our way through these two national parks. Who can forget the beautiful bridge in Twin Falls, Craters of the Moon, the harrowing pass into the Tetons, the smoke so we couldn’t see the ever-impressive Tetons right in front of us, Old Faithful, huckleberry sodas at the soda fountain, Chief Smokey Pants, s’mores around our ‘fire’, pictures of every meal, eating, eating, eating, the most delicious BBQ hamburgers ever (!!!!!), laundry, bison growling, bison fighting, the tourist that almost got picked off by the bison, the bison right next to the car, the 6-mile off road drive, the deer and buck, oh, my favorite – the juvenile bald eagle, fishing, SHOPPING in Jackson, eating, snack tubs, kayaking in Jenny Lake, geysers, (or should I say……geezers?), bathroom lines, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone with its breath-taking view, picnic table right next to bear claw marked tree, bear spray, Dragon’s Mouth geyser, bear spray demonstration, church at the Church of the Transfiguration looking at the Tetons while listening to a sermon, 46th anniversary of the Witties, homesteaders’ homes/general store, prong horn, badger (yes, he really was in the sage brush), eating, BEAR, sunset and clouds that were INCREDIBLE, Psalm 104 at dinner and Psalm 29 memorized, moose on our early morning out of the park and the most amazing family picture at this very moment, plus a museum of emigrant trails in the West? Whew. That was a very long sentence. So, why did I say all this? So you will hear what I have to say next.
As I type this I am listening to Elevate Worship “Do It Again” (see below), which I believe ties in perfectly with where I am at this moment. Basically, I grew up. This trip was the start of it, and I had an epoch two nights ago that is the book end to it. I had asked the Lord, YAHWEH, to speak to me in a new way on this trip. I wanted to see Him differently. It was when we were watching an IMAX movie, of all things. We were about half way through our trip and I had seen so much of His creation. And when you are at a national park there are many signs posting the billions of years that something like this took to be formed. Now, to know me is to know that I believe in the Bible literally, so therefore I believe in six literal days of Creation, Noah’s Flood being about 6 thousand years ago and it was a worldwide flood. There was an Ice Age after that, and the glacial formations will attest to this. The Tetons are a huge statement of glacial activity. My moment with God was as I was watching this movie on national parks. It FULLY hit me – ONLY GOD COULD HAVE CREATED WHAT I WAS SEEING. There you have it. Man could not/can not create a flood, mountain formations that are 13,000 plus feet high. Man cannot even create the most basic – rain. That simple. Only God can, and He in fact tells me over and over again in His word.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
Many, many scholars have done much study on this verse, and I am not going to compete with them, however, I will say, God stepped into time and CREATED. And what He created is very good. Very good. And the best of His creation? People. Yup. Me and you. And He so loved the world that He stepped into time again by sending His own Son to the world to bring eternal life to all who call on Him, who call on Him in Spirit and truth (John 3:16, Romans 10:9). I have heard these verses over and over again but, the impact caused quite a stir in my heart on that afternoon. If you would have looked at me in my seat you would have seen tears streaming down my face. My God – My God is an incredible God. And He loves me. Little ol’ me.
Fast forward to 2 nights ago. I was wanting my own way. I know, shocking that I could be so base at this age, but true nonetheless. I was struggling to not stomp my foot and demand my rights, or to just blurt out everything that was rolling around in my mouth. It was a tug of war. A battle royal. About 2 years ago, my daughter Rebekah had written out a note that very simply states:
SOVEREIGN OVER US
I was climbing into bed when my eyes landed on that note. I stopped short. I was trying to be sovereign over my life and everyone else’s. I was not allowing God to be Sovereign. Period. I was trying to sovereign. Ok. That does not work. I know nothing. I am weak. I am a sinner saved by grace, but a sinner nonetheless. I grew up at that moment. I confessed. I repented and I sought my God’s face. And do you know what I found? LOVE. That’s right. Love. And it was all for me. I had a personal worship service last night and sang Psalm 103 to the Lover of my soul. And it felt so good to sing to Him. He really is worthy of all my praise.
Can I share a vision that had about 2 years ago? I remembered it last night as I was singing to my Jesus. In this vision I was a little girl playing hide and seek with God. Right in the throne room. Just me and Him. I was on His left-hand side and I peeked around His throne, around a very luscious drape and He was looking at me with such a playful look on His dear face. It was as if He was saying, “I see you, little one, and I love you.” Oh, I feel so loved by God. So loved. My God is an amazing God who is Sovereign over me. I need to be still and know this. Here’s another song that is playing as I finish up this post, "Be Still and Know" by Amy Grant (see below).
It took thousands of miles for me to see that God is Huge, and I am small. I needed to grow up. I think I did – at least a little:-)