Summer Travels - Jim Hubbard

Summer Travels

When the summer weather is nice (usually) and the temperature is warm... it is a good time to get on the road or in the air and "go somewhere." Often we choose to get closer to nature and spend more time in the great outdoors during nicer weather. Once we get to see and experience more of God's wonderful work... if we take the time to "stop and smell the roses"... we can truly feel a sense of awe and wonder at God's creation.

Our son lives in northern California in and near those giant redwood trees one sees when visiting the "Avenue of the Giants." He occasionally takes them for granted, but when we visit and see stands of coastal redwood trees that routinely grow to over 100+ feet tall, many even grow to 200+ feet (the tallest is 328 feet) it is awe-inspiring and reminds us of what our awesome God can do/has done.

During our most recent trip (last week), we went north along Highway 101 to Oregon, amazed again by the rugged Oregon coast and how majestic the rock formations along that coastline are. Then on to the Rogue River which flows into the Pacific Ocean creating a unique, tide-affected mouth-of-the-river entry point. Again, all this is often taken for granted by those living nearby... whereas visitors, who come by the tens of thousands find the scenery extraordinary.

Even in Indiana God's handiwork is on display within our geography... the Lake Michigan coastline, the dunes, the farmland with its rich, dark soil. Are we being good stewards of the world and land that God has entrusted to us to care for? Probably not as good as we should, but I believe we are getting better and being more responsible across most of our nation.

My most recent foray into nature made me more aware of what we have been given to care for and I will work to be more responsible and caring and concerned going forward. I suggest each of you stop and ponder God's greatness the next trip you take to somewhere you don't live. Look at the land and geography and the way God has put it all together into a tapestry of features that are a fabulous display of God's power and majesty. As the song goes..."Our God is an awesome God...." For sure!!

Jim Hubbard, Elder