My family and I have just returned from a trip to the western side of the United States. We travel to Idaho each year, usually by car, to visit my brother and his wife near Boise. We started planning this trip 3 months ago, sometime in April. We even counted down the days. We packed favorite games, guns, hiking and cycling gear- all planning to use the various items for their specific purpose. Matt and Staci even booked a cabin on a lake up in the mountains for three nights once we arrived.
July 10th came around, and we left the house at 3:30 in the morning in order to reach Rapid City, South Dakota in time to have maybe an hour of downtime before sleeping. We grabbed subway, then fell asleep. The next morning, I awoke before the rest in order to head out on a 47 mile uphill ride to Mount Rushmore. The kids slept in, and were to meet me at the monument. After Rushmore, we continued to Deadwood where we panned for gold, and found Wild Bill Hickok's grave along with Calamity Jane's. We continued to see Devil's Tower in northeastern Wyoming before we traveled to a small on-the-way motel somewhere in the state. It was late, and we were all exhausted, so we crashed.
Day three caught us motoring through Yellowstone to see Old Faithful, then heading down south to drop into Boise from an area of Idaho that I had never been. We were all doing ok.
With three hours to go, and set in cruise on the highway, the suburban suddenly lost power, and the RPM's raged. I pulled off the highway and we sat in park for a few minutes while we contemplated what just happened. I pressed on revving the engine to 5000 RPM's in order to reach an aptly placed rest area only 1 mile from where we stopped. We were out of harm's way, and now had to decide what to do.
Several hours later, we were all safely in Kuna with Matt and Staci ready for bed.
I guess I have missed a few details. Let's go back.
Traveling this path to Rapid City required a new plan, and different highways. We moved through several states that we had never driven through before, and some that we had never been in. Montana, for example, has always appealed to me because of its symbol of freedom and open country that in my mind anyway, we don't have here in Michigan. I have never been to Montana. If you have never driven across this country, you probably should. There are so many variations to each state, that you might think you're in a different country, or even planet. It is 85 degrees here in Michigan as I type this, and I'm covered in water, yet, I hardly move. 100 degrees in Idaho isn't enough to make you sweat...unless you move around. Michigan's humidity is remarkable, but better experienced and appreciated if you've been somewhere else. This is just one example. People know this, but don't experience it.
Continuing from Michigan to Idaho via South Dakota required us to skirt Indiana, Illinois, hit Wisconsin, and then cross Minnesota at the lowest point across the state. Driving from the Wisconsin border (I love Wisconsin) across a bridge to Minnesota, you will see giant cliffs falling straight down into the water below from a state that is known for lakes, not for cliffs. There He was.
We traveled across Minnesota through corn fields, and other fields to get to South Dakota where we noticed a lot of the highway looked red. We learned that there is a bountiful supply of red granite in South Dakota which they use for roads. There He was again.
Driving to the hotel that night took us right through the Badlands, and boy was that a treat. The kids got out to climb on the rocks which are multi colored, and in layers, while Sarah and I climbed some, we also took pictures. This was a nice break from the road. There He was still.
The next morning I rode 47 miles through the Black Hills on my way to Mount Rushmore, and I have a hard time describing this little ride of mine. There were hills everywhere, and all around. The pine trees were healthy, green, and tall. The road was smooth, quiet, and beautiful, and the sun had started to peak up above the terrain, softly lowering its glow over God's great creation, and there He was with me. Cycling here in Michigan, it takes a long time to gain elevation while you ride, and then there in South Dakota, hills arise without effort to challenge, inspire, and dominate you. In the 47 miles, I gained 5,700 feet, slowly and steadily. Because of the climb, I was slower than my normal speed, and that gave me more time to see what I was passing. What a glorious place this was. To think that I could come, and ride when I chose and how I chose was a blessing. Not every person can do that for a multitude of reasons. There I was alone, climbing, seeing, and worshiping. The God who formed these mountains was the same one who created the Badlands without effort. I could work my entire life and not create a mountain or a stack of sediment like the Badlands. It was so quiet. I continued riding, and after 25 miles, came around the bend to see a breathtaking lake. The water was like ice, and the sun had uncovered it before I arrived. Mountains and trees were perfectly reflected in the water below. It was set out in front of me like a picture that I hadn't taken, but I could ride through. God did this. It was hard to contain the splendor of His majesty in this little place in the world that was dominating my mind. Yet I was alone.
I thought about the red roads and how God supplied red granite for the people of the Dakota's so they could set a road in its place, and it would benefit thousands of people. People who wanted to ride in the mountains, for example. Some who might just travel to work. God set the granite in place for thousands of years for the people of today to discover it, work it, and use it for a purpose such as this.
All of this after we had passed Minnesota and its brilliant sheer cliffs falling to the water. What holds them up? How long have they been like this? Are there more places like this? Did a man make this? Could a man in 10 lifetimes make this? He was there too in the setting of the border of Minnesota, and knew that I would take pleasure in its beauty one day, but it took me 35 years to arrive there.
How does God reach solitary people while riding a bike in the hills? What part of a man can look and see Him and His design and not just trees? Why is a natural setting more impressive to me than carved faces in stone?
It is so easy to go from day to day and see what we expect to see, but I implore you to look past what you glance over in Michigan or anywhere, and see God's design, supply, and handiwork. It is only a glimpse of Him that I got to see driving thousands of miles, and yet it took my breath away. When you contemplate the universe, or the tiny spacecraft that left here in 2006 to arrive at small Pluto in the last 10 days, think of how long ago God made that body to be found and pictured when it was.
The splendor has been there the entire time, just like the Black Hills, the Badlands, and the cliffs in Minnesota. He makes these things for our benefit and for His good pleasure. There He is.
