Tip of My Iceberg

I’ve had the joy and privilege of being with my two sisters in Tucson, Arizona for several days. They’re so gracious to take me to places I’ve never been, to see things that boggle my mind. Plus our time is filled with laughter and memories and deep discussions.

We drove far to the southeast of Arizona to see the Chiricahua National Monument, a place of incredible beauty and the homeland of the Chiricahua Apaches since the early 1400s. It’s called the land of “Standing Up Rocks” because of the unusual formation of the rocks caused by volcanic activity many centuries ago. When you see them from a distance, it appears they are the pipes of a huge pipe organ, spired and sculpted by time with cracks that look like joints.

The more I stared at these unique rock formations, the more I was in awe of the uniqueness of this area. It covers four ecosystems, from desert to high mountains. We walked the trails, peeking down into canyons that held balancing rocks and then brought our eyes to the heights where the spires seemed individually carved.

It was an experience of awe and wonder that filled me. So often in life I move through each day at breakneck speed, with so many things I feel I need to accomplish. Stopping to appreciate the beauty around me, no matter where I am, isn’t something I easily do.

This was a gift, made even more special because I could be with my sisters as we investigated this new area.

Too often we’re so focused on devices and screens that we miss the beauty around us. We become oblivious to what is happening right in front of our faces. We scroll and swipe as if life itself has been reduced to a screen and what we can find out in that limited space. We lose sight of who and what is around us, unwilling and too often unable to see past what we hold in our hands.

When we limit our sight to what we can see on a screen, we lose the ability to be amazed by the awe and wonder of of the details of the world around us. We miss seeing what God has done to provide us with a place to live.

“He holds in His hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. The sea belongs to Him, for He made it. His hands formed the dry land, too.” Psalm 95:4-5.

I know there are many theories on how the earth came to be, from the big bang to slow evolution. Everything has a beginning. When the details of the earth and even of the unique features of humans everywhere are considered, the probability of the complicated formation of even the human eye seems impossible apart from a Master Designer.

“But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you; let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all humanity.” Job 12:7-10.

We’ve lost our ability to be in awe of what’s around us. We take for granted the beauty of a bird singing, the glorious color of a field of wild flowers, the tiny fingers and toes of a new baby. These don’t just happen.

God has created the earth and all that is in it.

We’ve not treated the beauty of this world with the integrity and dignity it deserves. We’ve created a worldwide culture of taking from what is around us and not maintaining what we’ve been given.

I’ve been reminded of the wonder of all things that have been created by a God who loves us and seeks to provide for us. I don’t want to ignore or lessen the incredible generosity of His gift that we see and experience every day.

How do you see this world?