Who Stole the Grand Canyon?

Does doing the same thing two years in a row constitute a tradition?  If so, I just returned from my “traditional” April trip to Arizona.  Last year I spent most of my tourist-time in and around Phoenix, exploring several areas in search of photo ops.  My bride, Alesia, joined me on this year’s trip, flying into Mesa, AZ, where I picked her up for a touring road-trip back to Montana.  Near the top of our to-do list was a visit to Grand Canyon National Park.  She vaguely remembers seeing it as a child and I had never seen it, so we were both anxiously looking forward to taking in the majesty of this geographical marvel.  However, that tradition thing got in the way at this point.  You see, last year heavy rain and cold weather joined me on my trip south, creating some obvious challenges to wildlife and nature photography.  This year was similar, but worse, as snow decided to join us, as well!  How bad was it?  Maybe this image will give you a hint…

Driving along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

Living in the north-country, we don’t scare easily from a little snowfall.  However, traveling through snow and sightseeing in snow are two entirely different things!  We made our way to the edge of the canyon near Yavapai Point, and with great expectation we walked to the edge to view this amazing site…

Yavapai Point of the Grand Canyon

As you might imagine, we were certainly hoping to see something more amazing!  After all, that first scene doesn’t look markedly different than many of our winter landscapes at home.  Having only that day to spend at the Grand Canyon, we determined to wait out the storm, hoping the weather would break and afford us better viewing opportunities.  We wandered around that area for a couple hours, and the snow did let up for a short while.  A couple elk were meandering through the area, following the Grand Canyon Railway through the tourist village.

Elk walking the rail through Grand Canyon National Park

Despite the relief from falling snow, the canyon remained heavily cloud-filled, only offering brief and murky glimpses of what lay below.  Eventually we decided to move on, following the South Rim upstream as we traveled eastward.  Intermittent snow continued through the day, but now and then, for brief interludes, the clouds would break and blue sky and sunshine shone through.  Fortunately we were able to stop at a couple of the canyon overlooks when the conditions provided a better view of the canyon.

Looking easterly, up the Colorado River, from somewhere near Moran Point

Looking westerly, from somewhere near Moran Point on the Grand Canyon

Although we were unable to clearly see the Grand Canyon, we are sure of it’s existence.  We’ve seen the evidence and heard the stories from competent witnesses.  Drawing a parallel to the Creator, we know He exists because of the evidence of His creation.  No, we don’t see Him as a physical being, in fact the Scripture tells us that, “Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (Psalms 97:2).  Denying the existence of God simply because we can’t see Him is not a sound argument, because there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary.  I freely admit that faith is a requirement of a Christian worldview, but it actually takes a lot more faith (and really blind faith) to believe in many of the prominent creation theories that modern day science has proposed.  While the Grand Canyon is really a magnificent place, it pales in comparison to many other marvels of creation.  Each of us needs to consider the evidence and determine for ourselves if God exists, but choose wisely, because our eternal well-being is at stake!  “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Related articles

• Grand Canyon (farfromhomeschooled.wordpress.com)
• Creationist’s Prediction #4 (creationscience4kids.com)

About these ads