Experiencing God’s Wonders

Jayne and I traveled out to Nevada and California this past month. While we were there we saw some of the most amazing examples of God’s works that we had only read about and saw pictures.  We flew to Las Vegas, as I had to provide support for the office that I work for and we decided to do some sightseeing while we were there.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

First of all we traveled at the perfect time of year for temperatures. The weather was in the mid to upper 70’s during the day, 40’s at night, and not a breath of wind.  In fact Jayne and I both remarked several times the lack of any breeze.

Our first adventure was to go to the Valley of Fire State Park about 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas to watch the sunset. Valley of Fire was named for the magnificent red sandstone formations that were formed from great shifting sand dunes. The pictures we took don’t even begin to describe the beauty of this place.

Genesis1:3-5 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Our next adventure was to travel to Death Valley. Again, this was the best time of year to travel out to this area, as the temperatures were only around 85 degrees on the day we went. In case you do not know, Death Valley is situated within the Mojave Desert; it is the lowest, hottest and driest area in North America, but again, not a breath of wind.  As you can imagine, there is not much to do in this area, except hike. We opted for a few short hikes with our camera. Unlike the name, death, the valley is actually full of vegetation and some wildlife. There are a few creeks that run through the valley to provide a lifeline to those that inhabit the area.

Deuteronomy 8:7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills;

Next we traveled to Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, Nevada to experience zip-lining through the desert. This was a first for Jayne and she truly had a blast. We did this trip around midday and again the weather was incredible. This is where we really noticed that there was no breeze. We had assumed that there would be some wind, as we were in the mountains and traversing a canyon on a heavy steel cable.

This was an amazing most exhilarating experience that we could ever ask for. Very safe, great guides and a great company that puts this on. We zipped on 4 different lines, the longest being just short of a half mile and speeds up to 60 mph. Like I said, very exhilarating.

Isaiah 55:12-13 “So you’ll go out in joy, you’ll be led into a whole and complete life. The mountains and hills will lead the parade, bursting with song. All the trees of the forest will join the procession, exuberant with applause. No more thistles, but giant sequoias, no more thornbushes, but stately pines— Monuments to me, to God, living and lasting evidence of God.”

Next we drove to California to visit Sequoia National Park and see the giant redwood trees. WOW!  I was not sure what to expect here, but this area is truly beautiful.  The park is famous for its giant sequoia trees, including the General Sherman tree, one of the largest trees on Earth. The General Sherman tree grows in the Giant Forest, which contains five out of the ten largest trees in the world. We did many hikes in the park; we did hike to the General Sherman tree, and up to the top of Moro Rock. We saw an abundance of wildlife here. We saw a bear, deer, and several species of birds, including an owl, which we got very close to. The weather in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains was perfect. The temps were in the low 60’s, which made for a perfect day of hiking.

Job 28:10-11 They tunnel through the rock; their eyes see all its treasures.  They search the sources of the rivers and bring hidden things to light.

Our next adventure was to Yosemite National Park. This has got to be one of the most breathtaking places on earth. There are mountains of granite, waterfalls, valleys, and rivers. Literally took my breath away. We did a few hikes in this park as well and this is where I discovered that I need to get my body into better physical condition.

Now this is where I wanted to discuss how we really witnessed God. As I have been saying we experienced really good weather and not a single breath of wind, which we remarked on. One of hikes this day was to Vernal Fall. This hike was a very steep and long trail; a little over a mile and a change in elevation of around 1000 feet. No, we did not get to the top of the fall, as I said, I am out of condition.

On the way back down the mountain we encountered a medical emergency. There was an older man that had a heart attack on his way up the trail. The entire trail was blocked with around 15 park rangers working to save this man's life. We could not pass the scene. So we sat and watched how these people worked feverishly trying to save this man. I prayed, Jayne cried.

Most people, like me, think that these park rangers or forest rangers are just people entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands. But they are so much more. Rangers are trained in wilderness first aid and participate in search and rescue to locate lost persons in the wilderness. Many national parks require law enforcement rangers to maintain certification as Emergency Medical Technicians or Paramedics.

These are the people we saw in action, but unfortunately the man did not survive. These Rangers worked on this man for almost an hour and about the time they had exhausted everything they could think of to revive this man, a brisk wind filled the valley. I mean this wind was loud, shook the trees, went up the valley, and then departed as quickly as it arrived. I had never experienced anything like this in my life. I whispered in Jayne’s ear, “That was The Holy Spirit!”

John 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

I cannot begin to describe how somber this scene was. Not one single person was in a hurry to get up or down the mountain. There were several other medical professionals that also assisted. Overall, I’ll say there were close to 100 people around. When the wind blew I wanted to jump up on a rock shout out, that the wind was the Holy Spirit coming for this man’s soul. But, I did not want to be disrespectful or, to be honest, appear like a raving madman. But this scene is etched in my mind forever. Jayne and I know we witnessed God’s presence. I prayed that this man knew Jesus as his personal Savior and was being taken to his new life with God.

Just like my revelation into my physical condition, this served as a reminder that life is fragile and short. God can come at any time to take us away. If you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior, I ask why not?  Life is too short not to be certain of where you will spend eternity.

Please, just like I made a commitment to better my physical condition, I pray that you would strive for a better life in Christ.

John 14:6-7 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”