Tom, my husband, and I recently enjoyed a vacation at Yellowstone National Park. It was an amazing time!
We spent six days taking in all the park had to offer. We hiked the South Rim Trail in Canyon Village to see the waterfalls of the Yellowstone River. We explored the many hydrothermal features in the park including Old Faithful and Mammoth Springs. We even went horseback riding in the back country of the park. Needless to say – we maximized our time at Yellowstone. Tom and I could not help but marvel at God’s amazing work as we enjoyed looking at the animals and various landscapes within the park. Who else could create such beauty?
It was my first trip to Yellowstone but Tom had previously been to the park so he was familiar with the area. The first day in the park, we decided to take a drive in the early evening to see if we could spot any animals. We were staying on the east side of the park in Canyon Village and Tom thought it would be fun to drive to the west side of the park to see what we could find. As we headed west on Norris Canyon road, I was excited to see more of the park. The Norris Canyon road is a 12 mile road that links the east side to the west side of the park. The Norris Canyon roadside is thick with lodgepole pines so we were not thinking nor searching for any animals on that stretch of road. Neither was anyone else. Cars were driving fast to get to the west side of the park.
As Tom focused on driving, I was busy looking, when all of the sudden I spotted a bear! I quickly said, “there was a bear in the small clearing behind the pines.” Tom immediately turned around and we went back to that location. As he pulled off the road, we saw it – a grizzly bear foraging behind the lodgepole pines. We watched as the grizzly move around looking for food. Though we tried to get a photo, we were unable to get a clear shot of the grizzly. No doubt this was a top ten moment for us.
As Tom and I drove away, we were both excited and amazed that we had seen a grizzly bear up close and personal. We also realized how strange it was that no one else stopped to see what we were looking at. If you have ever been to Yellowstone, you know that when one car is stopped, ten other cars will stop to see why the first car stopped. However, at the moment, no one stopped. As Tom and I sat on the side of the road, looking at the grizzly with a camera pointed out our window, no one stopped. Think about it – we were watching something amazing and a few dozen cars drove by us and no one wondered what was happening. Tom and I reflected that life often times pulls us away from seeing God at work. How many times do we go through our day so focused on our goals that we miss those special moments with God? How often do we allow the pressures of the day to fill our mind and we forget to go to God in prayer? My prayer for us is that we slow down, draw near to God through prayer, and read the Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what God wants you to see.
God is at work every day in our lives so don’t forget to stop.
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