Walk In The Park

Walk in the Park

If you’ve ever visited Yellowstone National Park, you know it’s like stepping onto another planet. Hot springs give off strange gases and create beautiful colors. Geysers—the most famous being Old Faithful—spout water hundreds of feet into the air. Mudpots bubble up acidic water. Steam vents hiss and roar as water boils through cracks in the earth’s crust. Then, of course, there’s the amazing wildlife, raging rivers, and beautiful mountains. Yellowstone is truly a crown jewel in God’s creation. And on this day in 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill that established Yellowstone as the first national park.

In those days travel was difficult, and few knew the beauty of Yellowstone that’s nestled in parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. In 1871 an expedition led by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden explored the region. Thomas Moran sketched and painted landscapes of the area, while photographer William Henry Jackson captured some striking images. At the end of their journey, Hayden traveled to Washington, DC, and turned in a five-hundred-page report to Congress. Soon after, Congress approved a bill to protect the natural wonders of Yellowstone. Grant signed it into law—making Yellowstone the first national park not only in the United States, but also the world.

As Christ followers it’s our duty to protect God’s creation as well. The Bible is clear that God made the earth and everything in it (see Nehemiah 9:6). And he commands us to protect and care for his creation. That may mean picking up trash in a nearby park or obeying signs in wilderness areas that say, “Keep on the Trail.” Maybe your family will begin a recycling effort in your neighborhood. Show your appreciation for God’s creation by doing your part to treat all of it like a national park.

Daddy-Daughter Time

There are nearly sixty national parks in the United States, and it’s never too early to plan a visit. You can also check out hundreds of national monuments or historic sites. Go to nps.gov and click on “Find a Park” to locate one close to you. Maybe you can plan a family vacation with a stop at one of the many national parks. As you decide where to visit, pray together to thank God for life and his beautiful creation.

What’s The Word?

You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.   Nehemiah 9:6 (NIV)