Jesus in the Parks Story
In 2014, I set a goal to visit all of the (now) 63 US National Parks. I have always enjoyed hiking, camping, being outdoors and visiting new places. Years of international travel taught me to appreciate the beauty and adventures close to home and to acknowledge institutions like the National Park Service which help protect and preserve our lands for everyone to enjoy.
Visiting the national parks has been many things for me: joyful, exciting and educational-- not to mention stressful, a little terrifying and sometimes exhausting. Above all, it has been sanctifying. Spending time in the national parks has been one of the many tools the Lord has graciously used to show me His glory and draw me closer to Him. I am continually thankful the Lord created us to joyfully respond to the world around us. He didn't have to create us to find sunsets beautiful or the sound of a stream soothing, but He did, and for that I am grateful.
John Muir so eloquently wrote on this topic.
Every tree, every flower, every ripple and eddy of this lovely stream seemed solemnly to feel the presence of the great Creator. Lingered in this sanctuary a long time, thanking the Lord with all my heart for his goodness in allowing me to enter and enjoy it.
John Muir, A Thousand Mile Walk to The Gulf (1916)
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I echo this thanks and appreciation and pray you will too.
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My one disappointment from my time visiting the parks is they are completely void of any recognition of the Lord who created them. Most guidebooks, resources, or tours will tell you, to the best of their human ability, how the mountains were formed, how the rivers carved the canyons or how the fossils or petrification came to be in these remote places. They won’t, however, tell you that all of these things are God’s glory on display, that before a single mountain was formed the everlasting God was there (Psalm 90:2), and that He formed the seas and shaped the earth with His hands (Psalm 95:5). I hope these devotions speak these truths to you.
These posts are not intended to debate various theological views, to explain scientific conundrums or represent a specific political view aligned with conservation or government programs. I am not a politician, biologist, archaeologist or botanist, nor am I formally trained in church history or theology. I am a Christian seeking to honor the Lord and encourage others.
My prayer is these devotions will help you experience the parks in a new way. I pray you marvel at the beauty, diversity, power and peace that can be found across our nation's national parks. I pray they become a place where you can push yourself, face fears, find joy, retreat, and relax your mind. I pray you share these experiences with family, friends, and strangers and deepen relationships in the process. Above all, I pray you learn more about our Lord, that you draw near to Him and see His attributes manifest.