Snow-Covered Dogwoods
"Okay, I'm not looking! I have my eyes covered, so you have to lead me," My sister said to my dad as he touched her shoulders and directed her towards the overlook.
"I'm not looking either!" I added as I followed them with my eyes fixed on my feet.
"This is the perfect spot," Dad announced when our feet reached the edge of the sidewalk.
Then I lifted my eyes to see my first view of the grand canyon, and it took my breath away. I knew that the grand canyon was indeed enormous, but no picture I had seen or imagined compared to actually standing at the edge and peering down into the valley. The valley was so deep that I could only catch a small slimpse of the Colorado River below. It was so wide that the other side seemed foggy as if I was looking through layers of the atmosphere to see the other side. The canyon twisted through the valley, forming not just one canyon around a single river, but a maze of rock formations that seeped up the sides of the canyon walls. Textured layers of red, orange, and white rocks glowed as we watched the sun set over them.
No matter how many times I looked at the view, I stared in amazement every time. I could never see the whole canyon at one time. I just kept looking and looking, trying to soak up its glory. I think I know what God's fingerprint looks like.
After our Grand Canyon visit, my family and I trekked towards our next family vacation adventure in Sequoia National Park. The giant Sequoia tree forest was located at the top of a mountain. As we ascended the mountain, the sun began to set and the temperature began to drop. Just before we reached the giant forest, snowflakes began to fall all around us. "Can you believe this? Is that snow?" We all stared out the window in amazement at the giant sequoia trees nestled in a snow-covered forest. I had to ask, "And what is today's date? Is it really May 16? Because I feel like it is December!"
The grand sequoia trees were glorious enough, but to see them in a snow flurry in the middle of May was a beautiful surprise. Sprinkled among the gigantic, ancient sequoia trees were several blooming dogwood trees. Each dogwood, covered in large white flowers, showed the world that springtime was in the air. But at the same time, each white spring flower was covered in a fresh layer of snow.
It reminded me of the childhood game where you looked at a picture and had to figure out what was wrong with it. Usually it was a beach scene with a man wearing scarf and mittens or something like that. As I looked at the snow-covered dogwood blooms, I thought, What is wrong with this picture?
Then I realized that only God can cover a blooming dogwood tree with fresh snow. He governs the seasons and knows the ways of His creation. And he blessed us with a beautiful and unexpected gift: a snow storm in the middle of springtime, a breath of cool air in the middle of summer.
He causes the sun to set over the colors of the vast grand canyon, and He sends snowflakes to cover the flowers of the dogwood tree in the middle of May. What a loving, amazing, and awe-inspiring God has created all this.
"I'm not looking either!" I added as I followed them with my eyes fixed on my feet.
"This is the perfect spot," Dad announced when our feet reached the edge of the sidewalk.
Then I lifted my eyes to see my first view of the grand canyon, and it took my breath away. I knew that the grand canyon was indeed enormous, but no picture I had seen or imagined compared to actually standing at the edge and peering down into the valley. The valley was so deep that I could only catch a small slimpse of the Colorado River below. It was so wide that the other side seemed foggy as if I was looking through layers of the atmosphere to see the other side. The canyon twisted through the valley, forming not just one canyon around a single river, but a maze of rock formations that seeped up the sides of the canyon walls. Textured layers of red, orange, and white rocks glowed as we watched the sun set over them.
No matter how many times I looked at the view, I stared in amazement every time. I could never see the whole canyon at one time. I just kept looking and looking, trying to soak up its glory. I think I know what God's fingerprint looks like.
After our Grand Canyon visit, my family and I trekked towards our next family vacation adventure in Sequoia National Park. The giant Sequoia tree forest was located at the top of a mountain. As we ascended the mountain, the sun began to set and the temperature began to drop. Just before we reached the giant forest, snowflakes began to fall all around us. "Can you believe this? Is that snow?" We all stared out the window in amazement at the giant sequoia trees nestled in a snow-covered forest. I had to ask, "And what is today's date? Is it really May 16? Because I feel like it is December!"
The grand sequoia trees were glorious enough, but to see them in a snow flurry in the middle of May was a beautiful surprise. Sprinkled among the gigantic, ancient sequoia trees were several blooming dogwood trees. Each dogwood, covered in large white flowers, showed the world that springtime was in the air. But at the same time, each white spring flower was covered in a fresh layer of snow.
It reminded me of the childhood game where you looked at a picture and had to figure out what was wrong with it. Usually it was a beach scene with a man wearing scarf and mittens or something like that. As I looked at the snow-covered dogwood blooms, I thought, What is wrong with this picture?
Then I realized that only God can cover a blooming dogwood tree with fresh snow. He governs the seasons and knows the ways of His creation. And he blessed us with a beautiful and unexpected gift: a snow storm in the middle of springtime, a breath of cool air in the middle of summer.
He causes the sun to set over the colors of the vast grand canyon, and He sends snowflakes to cover the flowers of the dogwood tree in the middle of May. What a loving, amazing, and awe-inspiring God has created all this.
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