This past summer Lou Etta and I enjoyed a wonderful vacation to celebrate our thirtieth wedding anniversary. Part of that trip was an excursion to the Grand Canyon. If you get to go the canyon yourself, please take an atheist. If that person is still an atheist when you leave, take them to the nearest ophthalmologist.
Part of this trip was a bus tour through some of the most scenic spots along the South Rim. At one stopping point we overlooked a landmark about one third of the way down in the canyon called “Gator Rock”. This was because the rock formation looked like an alligator. (Hey, I did not name the rock.) On the way back from this view as we walked with our driver, John, he pointed out a yucca looking plant with a long bamboo stalk that looked to have grown out of the center of this plant to a height of 12-15 feet. It was deader than last week’s casserole; so I was surprised when John made this a point of interest.
It turned out this was a plant called a “Century” plant. The life cycle of this plant is about one hundred years. (Once again, duh!) It only blooms once, produces seeds, and dies. We missed seeing this miracle of God’s creation by about one month. We would have walked right by it and not noticed a thing but an old dead bamboo looking plant that was just in the way. But John shared all he knew.
We miss a lot when someone does not take the time to share information with us. Maybe we don’t listen very well. Maybe someone else is left unknowing by our failure to share insight that we possess.
Christ shared the good news with his disciples at this moment in the gospels and it was a once in a lifetime event that carries us to eternity.
Merry Christmas.
Mike Bowen
1 comment:
I love the first paragraph!
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