Wonders from Hawaii
Austin Evans recently blogged about five wonders of God, and he challenged us to reflect on God’s wonders. We are in Hawaii for 4½ months, and I see God’s wonders every day. Three big ones that display God’s power and creation are: The Sun, The Volcano, and The Ocean.
The Sun. Every day the sun appears and provides us with its light and warmth. I am awestruck that this part of God’s creation is a perpetual energy machine. I don’t know how it works. The fact that solar flares can reach out 8,000 miles from the sun’s surface blows me away. That is 3 times the distance I travel from Oregon to Hawaii, which seems like a long ways. And how does the sun keep going?
The Volcano. We are on the big island, which is officially named Hawaii. It is the island that has very active volcanos, and in fact Mauna Loa (which covers 50% of the Big Island) recently erupted. Carolyn and I got up early the other morning at 4:00 AM to drive up to see the volcano and lava flows. The flow is away from any towns and people. But it is only about three miles from the saddle road which bisects the island, so great views are possible. The lava flow looks like a large ski run, only it is red rather than white. The large plumes of flame from the main vent are quite spectacular. I cannot help but think about how small we are next to God’s creation, and that our heavenly father provides a protective shell around our world to protect us and his creation from the molten lava deep underneath our feet.
The Ocean. As an island, we are surrounded by the ocean. I marvel at the beauty and at the continual power of the surf. Like the sun that appears every day, the tides and surf are relentless and remind me of God’s relentless love.
While these three things display God’s power and majesty, I am also in awe of the smaller parts of God’s creation. The Island Flowers with their beauty and sweet scents of plumeria, gardenia, and hibiscus remind me of the creativity and beauty of God.
And then there are the Geckos. How do they manage to walk up walls and on the ceiling and not fall off? How did God do this?
So every day I see God in his creation, and I am so grateful to enjoy the wonder of it all.
