Psalm 139:14 ESV
Psalm 36:5-7 ESV
Today I booked a train ride to the Rocky Mountains. I’m excited because I love riding the train.
My Grandpa Mac (my Mom’s dad) was a Railroad Mechanic from the 1920’s through the 1960’s. Oh my, how he loved the railroad! He was a true mechanic…he understood how moving parts fit together.
My first real job after two years of college in the 1970’s was working for the railroad as a clerk. It was a union job and it paid well, had great benefits, and I learned a lot about life and work.
One of the ‘perks’ of my railroad job was that my Grandpa was so excited that I was working for the railroad that he wanted to know all about my job.
I’d always had a great relationship with my Grandma because she taught me how to sew, how to crochet, and how to do hand quilting after I turned 12 years old. She was a very patient teacher. Whenever I would make a mistake she would giggle and simply and patiently tell me how to fix it. She said everyone has to learn how to fix their mistakes because everyone makes mistakes. She made me feel like making mistakes are part of life. Working for the railroad was a bond we shared.
When we went to visit them on Sunday (every Sunday) I would ask questions about politics with my Grandpa because I wanted to know what it was like during the 1920’s and 1930’s. It was something he was passionate about and I thought it was really interesting. Even though I’d read about politics during the 20’s and 30’s, he made the stories come to life.
However, after I went to work for the railroad I was able to talk with him about my job. That was a lot of fun because he loved the railroad. I mean he LOVED it!
Booking my train ticket today reminded me of my Grandpa and how much he loved the railroad…
I’m also excited that I’m going to the Rocky Mountains. I get to visit the United States Space Force building in Colorado Springs where my youngest son is promoting to the next level of his career.
I also get to go to Cheyenne, WY to visit my oldest son and his family. He just retired from military life after 21 years.
It’s also a very special trip because I will get to see four of my eight grandchildren!
And then there are the mountains and seeing God’s wonderful works!
Psalm 139:14 tells us, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
When I think of God’s wonderful and majestic works, my first thought is of the mountains! I have traveled to Colorado many many times and I’ve spent a lot of time in Wyoming. I especially love Yellowstone National Park. The scenery and wildlife are a real treat.
On one trip I remember being in Yellowstone in the early morning hours and seeing a majestic Moose grazing in a valley with her calf. In Yellowstone it’s not unusual to see bear and buffalo as well. What a sight!
We are all fearfully made…the giant moose, the bear, and the buffalo. God created it all.
God also created men and women in all shapes and sizes. Tall to small we are all wonderfully made in the image of God.
I think sometimes I (we) forget that we get caught up in the everyday problems of life. Life can certainly be overwhelming.
I’ve been told that during the first half of the 20th Century life was simpler and slower. When my Mother was born they didn’t have television sets or even a radio blaring.
There was no internet.
Children worked and did their chores and when they were done they could play outside. My Mom tells me that after her family moved to Jackson County, Missouri from Randolph County, Missouri my Grandpa decided to establish a weekly tradition of having a croquet match in the field behind their house. Everyone in the neighborhood joined in and they all looked forward to getting together to play croquet.
All of that was before World War II. Mother said after the big war, people all had radios in their houses and they would gather around to hear about all the war news. My Mom’s older brother joined the Navy and so they had a personal stake in what was happening overseas.
Everything had changed.
Eighty years later Mother still talks about her first long train ride. She said my Grandma missed her son terribly so Grandpa booked train tickets for them to go see him in Florida before he went overseas. Mother says it was a grand ride from Missouri to the east coast!
The year was in 1942.
Even though everything had changed, some things have stayed the same.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. Wonderful are His works. Deep in our soul we experience the wonder of God’s creation.
The truth is that while some things change God’s love and goodness remains constant.
Psalm 36:5-7 says, “Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”
God’s love and faithfulness cover us and we see the handiwork of God on our planet. We can SEE the wonder of God.
Eighty years after my Mother took her first exciting train ride, I will travel (again) to see the grand and glorious mountains that God created.
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: The Glory of God
Think of a time when you witnessed the wonder of God. Spend time praising God.
In God, Deborah