Family Reunion
We just returned from a family reunion with our sons and
their families in their Oregon home. We flew into Portland and drove the 300
miles south to their Medford retreat. High up on a foothill slope we found our
son’s home secured on rock. The 100-mile panoramic view is over snow capped
mountains and a fertile, fruit tree filled floor. Miles of dense Douglas firs
like the ones in my cousin Douglas Frank’s photograph above surround the
pedestaled landscape.
We have come to love the Northwest’s rugged rock and rich
green scenery. Between the mountains flow wild rivers and crystal water falls
chilled by snowfields above. Blackberry bushes line every highway ready to
quench and scratch your desires. It is amazing to consider the snowcapped
volcanoes rising high above the verdant valleys. In the area is Mount
McGloughlin, one of the “Seven Sisters.” Near Portland we saw Mount Hood and
Mount Rainier as we flew out from Seattle. These peaks soaring above 10,000
feet and are surrounded by 100s of smaller volcanoes and hot springs sourcing
from the earth’s fiery center. As
magnificent as it is there is also the reminder that it might just explode
again soon, blanketing the region with toxic fumes and lava. Yet we can only
live one day at a time, enjoying the view. Yet, I chose to consider Isaiah the Prophets
words, “You go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the
hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the filed will clap
their hands” (Isaiah 55:12).
We returned to the lush green Midwest, full of trees and
pastoral hills surrounded by the expansive Great Lakes with blues like the
Pacific Ocean we left behind. Yes, God has created it all to declare His glory
and proclaim the work of His hands for our enjoyment and awe filled worship.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.