Life Lessons from the National Parks

March 8, 2012

The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.  Habakkuk 2:20

In my last post, I mentioned Haleakala’s awesome sights. Today I want to mention this national park’s other outstanding feature—silence.

In the Smithsonian article I referenced, the author opens the piece musing on the park’s solitude:

Entering Haleakala Crater, the enormous mouth of Maui’s largest volcano, in the Hawaiian Islands, feels like an exercise in sensory deprivation. At the crater floor, a desolate expanse of twisted, dried lava reached after a two-hour hike down a trail carved into its wall, the silence is absolute. Not a breath of wind. No passing insects. No bird songs. Then I thought I detected drumming. Was it the ghostly echo of some ancient ritual? No, I finally realized, it was my own heartbeat, thundering in my ears.

In 2008, National park Service acoustic experts found that the ambient sound levels within Haleakala crater were near the very threshold of human hearing.

 Wow!

Silence can be maddening or creepy, or it can be soothing. “If you spend any time at all inside Haleakala,” notes Kiope Raymond, associate professor of Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawaii Maui College, in the article, “you will be overcome by what Mark Twain called its ‘healing solitudes.’ It induces tranquility and encourages reflection.”

I too discovered that at Haleakala. While I didn’t go down into the crater, as I stood atop the summit, I was filled with the majesty and power of God in this awesome and quiet place. Really, it was too much to take in. All I could do was experience a mere hint of those qualities. Definitely a “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) moment.

We all need quiet in this noisy world. But we can’t live forever on a mountaintop or in a valley with only God and ourselves for company, so we need to find it whenever and wherever we find ourselves. And God promises to provide that rest and peace, those “healing solitudes” we crave, even in the midst of chaos.

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28, 29

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Lasting peace isn’t found in a place, but in a Person. I pray we all will be able to enjoy special spots of quiet in our travels, but more importantly, that we’ll be able to revel in the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding,” (Philippians 4:7) wherever we are, provided freely for the asking by the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) Himself.

He not only lives in Haleakala, but right beside us.

Comments (4) Mar 08 2012

September 20, 2010

The tongue is a small part of the body, and yet…how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity…it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. James 3:5, 6, 8-10

Bet you didn’t know that next Tuesday is Ask a Stupid Question Day (September 28 is the “official” day, although it’s sometimes “celebrated” on the last school day of the month). Neither did I, until I read about it last year. And I’ve been waiting all this time to write about it!

But what does it have to do with national parks, you may ask? Well, it seems a lot of people ask thoughtless questions at national parks. A 2007 article in the Sacramento (California) Bee lists some of them:

–at Grand Canyon: “Exactly why did you guys put it here?”

–at Denali: “How much does Mount McKinley weigh?”

–at Everglades: “Where are all the rides?”

–at Mesa Verde: “Do you know of any undiscovered ruins?”

–at Yellowstone: “How do you turn it [Old Faithful geyser] on?”

–at Carlsbad Caverns: “How much of the cave is underground?”

–at Yosemite: “Where are the cages for the animals?”

And from a blurb in the December 2009/January 2010 edition of Reader’s Digest, this gem, which stumped a ranger at Olympic National Park: “Do you have any trails that just go downhill?”

Okay, these comments are good for a laugh, but often the things that come out of our mouths aren’t so funny. I cringe when I remember remarks I’ve made over the years; I can feel my face turning red at the very thought of them, even if they were decades ago!

And then there are the unkind, insensitive and even cruel words that have been aimed at us…

Scripture has a lot to say about the way we talk. A single reading of James 3 should pull everybody up short. The Bible details the many ways our tongue lands us in hot water, tears others down and dishonors God—through obscene and coarse language and empty words (Ephesians 5:4-6); gossip (Romans 1:29, 2 Corinthians 12:20, 1 Timothy 3:11, 2 Timothy 3:3, Titus 2:3); malice, slander and abuse (Colossians 3:8); bitterness (James 3:11); and lying (Exodus 20:16, Psalm 120:2, Proverbs 12:22, Acts 5:3, Colossians 3:9, to mention just a few).

For this last category, it would take a long time to find all the verses that addressed the subject . I’m sobered by the fact that lying is often grouped with what we might call the “big sins”—sexual immorality, idolatry, murder and sorcery (Proverbs 6:16-19; Revelation 21:27, 22:15). Kind of puts dishonesty in a more serious light, doesn’t it?

Jesus sums up the issue in a straightforward and frank fashion in Matthew 12:36, 37: “I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.”

Whoa.

So what to do? Thank God, when He points out a problem, He also offers a solution! He not only provides confession and cleansing from every sin (1 John 1:9), but specific direction on how to control our tongue and use it for good:

–through prayer:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:11)

–through Scripture:

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell in you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:16, 17)

–with humility and reliance upon the Holy Spirit:

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom…my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 12:1, 4)

--through love and forgiveness:

“And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity” (Colossians 3:12-14)

–through grace:

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person” (Colossians 4:6).

What’s striking about these verses is that in 3 out of 5 of them, the heart is the key component. Bingo! “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart,” Jesus bluntly declares in Matthew 12:34.  Take in good stuff, and good stuff will come out.

Lord, help us to fill our hearts and minds with what’s true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent and praiseworthy, so we can pass on to others in word and deed that peace You say will be with us as we dwell on and practice these things (Philippians 4:7-9).

And please don’t let us be found on anybody’s stupid speech list!

Comments (3) Sep 20 2010

July 5, 2010

Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

Many naturalization ceremonies take place around the 4^th of July—perhaps you saw something in your local paper about one near you. In a previous post, I mentioned the very moving ceremony I witnessed while at Homestead National Monument last fall.

Earlier this year, a National Park Ranger was named an Outstanding American by Choice during one such ceremony. This tribute to Kawther Elmi, born in Ethiopia and raised in Somalia, celebrated her accomplishments as a naturalized citizen. She was granted political asylum in 1989, earned two bachelors degrees and a masters in the U.S., and in 2000, joined the National Park Service. Ms. Elmi is currently a park ranger at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and in an online video, she talks about how significant it is for her to work there.

At the ceremony, Ms. Elmi told the new inductees, “I wish for all of you to find meaningful work that not only affords you life’s comforts but also feeds your mind and spirit.”

This is obviously a woman who has seen a great deal of turmoil yet also deep personal fulfillment in her life. She seems very humble, grateful and appreciative for all she has—her secure citizenship, her education and now this award. And her greatest desire for her fellow citizens is that they too would find that same satisfaction.

Contentment. Such a delightful concept—yet so hard to achieve! We humans wear ourselves out chasing after what we think will make us feel secure and happy—wealth, wisdom, power—but the irony is that lasting peace is never found in those things, because they’re fleeting, uncertain and subject to change at any moment (“riding high in April, shot down in May” is how the song “That’s Life” puts it). Real contentment comes from satisfaction with whatever God has given us wherever He’s placed us, and pursuing love, faith, perseverance, gentleness generosity and service to others (1 Timothy 6:6-20). It’s a learning process, the apostle Paul says, worked on through prayer, disciplining the mind, and leaning on the Holy Spirit  (Philippians 4:6-19). The process is ongoing—and lifelong.

Sigh. I sure wish contentment came easier. I’m discontent just thinking about it!

But I look forward to the day when the Outstanding Christian by Choice honors are handed out, that “crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award…not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

Because that’s when we’ll find final, absolute contentment.

Comments (0) Jul 06 2010