A WORD FOR TODAY, October 17, 2024
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, October 17, 2024
“‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,’ says Yahweh, ‘thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ says Yahweh, ‘and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says Yahweh. I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.’” Jeremiah 29:11-14, WEB
We spent three days in Yellowstone National Park and two days in Grand Teton National Park. These parks are right next to one another, but they are very different. Yellowstone is an active supervolcano with many hydrothermal features like geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. There are mountains and canyons; some of the hills are made of lava from ancient eruptions. About five percent of the 3472 square miles of park is water surface, including three hundred waterfalls, six hundred lakes and ponds, and one thousand rivers and creeks. It would be impossible to see it all in a lifetime, let alone in three days.
Grand Teton is more about the impressive mountains and the landscapes that dot the base. The Teton Range is about forty miles long, with eleven active glaciers and many waterfalls. There are forty named lakes and more that are unnamed, plus wetland habitats. The main river is the Snake River, but there are many forks and creeks around the park. Jackson Hole is the valley between the Tetons and the Gros Ventre, which includes grasslands, historic sites, and biking trails. We saw as much as we could, but it would be impossible to hike every trail and see it all in a lifetime, let alone in two days. The National Parks are surrounded by National Forests, extending the land area to 89,000 miles.
We can all name the major reasons for visiting the two parks. Everyone wants to see Old Faithful erupt. We want the picture of the waterfall with the rainbow in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We want to see the Grand Prismatic Spring and Mammoth Hot Springs. We want to drive the Lamar Valley. In Teton, we all want the photo of sunrise on the Tetons with the Mormon barn in the foreground. We want to see the Tetons framed by the window in the park church. We want to take the ferry across Jenny Lake. And we want to see critters.
Yellowstone is known for huge herds of bison and elk. There are also bears, wolves, coyotes, cougars, bald eagles, pronghorns, big horn sheep, and so many others. Many of the same animals are found in Grand Teton, but moose are more common there than in Yellowstone. We were constantly on the lookout for different animals, and we managed to see quite a few in both parks. We paid for a photo tour our first day in Yellowstone, and our driver took us on a chase of elk, bald eagles, swan, pika, and bears. We went to places he knew were common hangouts for the animals and other places where some animals were last reported to have been seen.
We learned very quickly that crowds of people parked along the roads generally indicated an animal sighting. In Yellowstone, most of those crowds were watching herds of bison, but a few times there was rumor of bear. In Grand Teton, we were able to see a bear and several moose by joining the crowds. Whether we were with our tour guide or chasing on our own, we would ask what they were seeing. There were two spots where people were gathered watching for big horn sheep. Unfortunately, we often arrived too late; the crowds dispersed because the animal was too far away or had disappeared into the woods. The big horn sheep were never visible with the naked eye, and even with a decent camera, I couldn’t possibly get a photo.
We had a chance to see big horn sheep in Colorado, as a herd hangs out in the area where we were staying. Unfortunately, like many of the other animals we might have seen, they were elusive. We sat awhile but could not wait long enough “just in case.” We never saw pronghorn at Yellowstone, though we saw many on the grassy plains of eastern Colorado. Despite sitings and a good tour guide, we never saw any bear in Yellowstone, or some of the other animals that we’d hoped to see. We did manage to see a grizzly bear in Teton and a black bear in Colorado Springs. We saw five moose in Teton. We didn’t have the time to be patient, to wait and watch. The reality, though, is that the parks are huge, and the animals could be anywhere. We were disappointed we didn’t see everything we wanted to see, but we know we were lucky to find what we could.
I wonder, sometimes, if people who want to know God think He that is elusive like those animals. They seek Him, but never find Him. They want to believe but have a hard time doing so because they can’t see Him. He is more than one small bear in a huge park, however. Our God is everywhere. He is not hard to find. As a matter of fact, He finds us. We may not think we have time to be patient, to wait and watch for Him, yet it is worthwhile to look for Him, for He will be found. The animals may hide from human interaction, but God is always near and ready to embrace us with His grace.
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