I suspect there are probably more ways God is working in my life that I do not see than I do see. Yet for now, I will reflect on how I experienced the Divine working in my life just recently.
Toward the end of May we left for Sisters, Oregon to officiate the wedding of our son, Scott. We were blessed to safely travel through Central California, staying in Patterson and next heading for Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. We arrived in the afternoon to a beautiful cloudless blue sky and sat on the Lodge veranda, soaking up the majesty of Crater Lake.
I could not help but ponder our God’s enormous power displayed before me. There it was — flashing before my eyes – hundreds of thousands of years of volcanic activity resulting in this pristine crater, filled with water and an island in the center as if an exclamation point. What an imagination our God must have!!!
Upon arriving at Sisters Oregon we thoroughly enjoyed an Indonesian feast, put on by Michelle’s family. Picture the dinner feast as two large extended families (think battalion) sons, daughters, cousins, nieces, nephews, and many friends all there to celebrate the love and commitment of these two young people in the ancient traditions of Michelle’s native Indonesia. For Karen and me this was truly our heart’s desire, prayers answered for our Scott. God’s presence was palpable in the stories, laughter, food, and toasts. Pure gift.
Karen and I officiated the wedding, back dropped by a lake and snowcapped Cascade Mountain range. More and more of God’s handiwork. The wedding commenced with a native Hawaiian friend of Michelle’s placing fresh flower leis on the parents. Facing in each direction, he then began to blow the traditional Pua Shell to announce that something important is going to happen. The commencement was capped as he then sang a south sea blessing over Scott and Michelle. There was not a dry eye in the place.
The wedding ceremony proceeded beautifully then to a dinner outside in the cool crisp Oregon high country. There were children running, playing, and having fun in the soft green grass, blowing bubbles and roasting marshmallows on the open fire. I could see Jesus quietly sitting in the middle of it all.
Unfortunately, the wedding festivities had to come to an end and we headed home. I selected a route back through Central and Eastern Oregon. Oregon is where I was born and the route we chose went through the area I hunted and fished extensively as a boy and young man. It was a kind of a sentimental journey. The John Day river canyon and its mighty pines were a Godly painting. We stopped at Malheur Game Refuge (largest in the USA) where the variety and quantity of birds was unbelievable. All the sizes and colors spoke of God’s amazing creativity. We left going south into one of the most beautiful landscapes Karen and I have ever seen Miles and miles of unfathomable high desert vistas. God is so obvious there. How do we get him back to Phoenix? In the next 80 miles we only saw one car on the road…that’s remote. Our next stop was Fields Station, Oregon – population 35 in the summer and zero in the winter. Their claim to fame is the World’s Greatest Milkshakes and $4.95/gallon gas.
Jesus, Karen and I fasten our seat belts and safely arrived home.
What a blessed time!