The God of Wonders!

Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Ileana, Nicole and Gisela in Antelope Canyon, Arizona - 2019

How do you survive a 2000-mile-long bus tour of the American West?

I found that out about a couple of weeks ago after completing the adventure of a lifetime with my sister and niece riding on a bus for a week through the great parks and monuments of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota.

One thing is for sure, neither of us had the slightest idea what this trip was going to be like. People would ask us stuff like: “Where are you going?”, and our standard reply was: “well, we are getting on a tour bus in Las Vegas and then we are riding north…” That’s about all we knew. It was exciting not knowing what to expect. It was also unnerving.

Let me tell you about some of it. The three of us met in Las Vegas, complained about the smell of smoke everywhere, ate, got a decent night sleep and got on a bus full of…well, I think I will describe our tour companions in a separate post. Let’s suffice to say that we were the absolute minority. But anyway, the second we stepped on that bus we knew we were in for some unforgettable experience…

The sights we saw were astonishing. I actually have no words to describe the scenery. From the Mojave Dessert to the snowy mountains of South Dakota, we witnessed and marveled at God’s incredible handiwork. One thing we got out of the experience, for sure, was a better appreciation for the massiveness of this great country of ours. You can ride and ride for a whole week, thousands of miles, and still not cover more than 6 states…and just partially…

As previously mentioned, we also had plenty of time to ponder and worship God in His creation. We were in awe. “How can anyone dispute the existence of a Creator?” Nicole, my niece, said, as we contemplated the jaw-dropping views that paraded in front of our eyes out the bus window, one more impressive than the next. He didn’t have to make the natural world so astonishingly gorgeous, but He did! He even made amazing things to remain hidden! We saw how He makes all things beautiful even underground when we squeezed through Antilope Canyon and scratched our heads (as well as bumped them against the formations) confused as to how something so indescribable beautiful lays under the surface?

As we traversed the canyon in a hail/rainstorm that filtered through the crack-like openings on the roof, which let in the crazy weather going on above ground, we couldn’t stop thinking: “why”? Through the mysterious light peeking through the openings, and even as we rushed in the hail and rainstorm, we couldn’t cease to admire the display of coral-colored formations that composed the most spectacular sights a bunch of clueless Panamanian women had ever beheld.

That’s just one example of the incredible things we saw, witnessed and experienced that week. I will continue with a few more excerpts of the trip in later posts, but today, I’m just, once again, focusing on the gift of God’s creative craftmanship. I am so thankful for all His provision; but especially, for making a most beautiful backdrop for the play of our existence to unfold while still on this world. His attention to orderly detail and His infinite imagination are revealed in nature. But, most of all, I figure, the reason why He designed a world so beautiful is because He loves us!

That is the true answer to the “why” we were puzzled about while in this trip. Why? Well, because He loves us so much that He wants us to have something that will take our minds off of the ills of life, if only for a little while. He loves us so much that He wants us to find peace and calm after the storm, when we look out the window and see the sun shining again! He loves us so much that He gives us sights that take our breath away when we lift up our heads after the dreaded and treacherous snow has covered every inch of the surface. He wants us to be able to feel a bit of paradise when we open our eyes after a nightmare and see the masterpiece of a new day painted on the sky!

Sigh…

I can write pages without end about God’s revelation in nature and I would still not be able to even begin to describe it. All I want to say now is that this trip allowed me an opportunity to reconnect with the God of Wonders beyond the borders of my everyday life, and for that I am eternally grateful!

And…keep reading for the answer to the question at the beginning of this post…it will be coming in the next few days :).  

Descending into Antelope Canyon, AZ

Our Navajo Guide in Antelope Canyon, AZ

Light filtering through the openings on the ground, Antelope Canyon, AZ - The camera does not make justice to the beauty of this place.

Even the storm looked beautiful down in Antelope Canyon, AZ