Old Faithful

When I was ten years old, our family made the long-awaited road trip across the Continental Divide to our  anticipated destination--Yellowstone Park. With geysers, hot springs, mud pots and other unusual geologic formations surrounding us, my parents cautiously led my brother and me along the wooden boardwalks that passed between these live volcanic portals.     

Named for its predictable eruptions for well over a century, this famous geyser was aptly named, "Old Faithful." I trembled as the sudden surge of steam and scorching water burst forth from the ground to towering heights. Though scary, I was intrigued, and learned that this geyser erupted approximately every 90 minutes, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. It was like clockwork, without fail.        
       
Vacation adventures were one thing. But at home, I rarely noticed the consistent patterns of nature that took place in my own community. Such as, the sunrise that bathed my room in light each morning. Or the red-orange sunset spreading across mountain peaks at dusk, or the changing position of star constellations according to season. Added to these, the timing of winter's thaw made room for spring blooms. Then summer morphed into fall, as leaves turned brilliant hues of red, orange, and yellow across  mountains and valleys.            

As a child I'd learned that God had created the world, but didn't realize until later that the miraculous patterns in nature were part of His grand design.                   

When I think of the phrase "Old Faithful" now, I am reminded of the unwavering characteristics of God. He does not err in His timing. Like clockwork, He positioned the earth, stars, and planets in just the right place to keep the universe in alignment, and gravitational to keep us grounded on earth. He set clockwork in us, too, with hearts that pump without cease until death, and lungs that let us take in the life-giving oxygen to each cell. A built in Circadian rhythm nudges us to awaken or sleep. Other complex systems in our body work together to make us functional as human beings. And the list could go on.   
         
God is the Mastermind of Intelligent Design. We do not have the capacity to comprehend His thoughts or ways, but one thing is certain: He never waivers. He is our "Old Faithful." The miracle of the patterns and  cycles of creation are all around us--and within us. God loves His creation. And He loves you and me. What love it is to know he patterned the world to be what it is:  made with you and me in mind.      
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"I lift up my eyes to the mountains--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2 NIV
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." - Isaiah 40:28 NIV
"He builds his lofty palace in the heavens and sets its foundation on the earth; he calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land--the Lord is his name." - Amos 9:6 NIV
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