Upheld In Immense

 

Immense, Enormous, Colossal

Last week, I stood gawking at the still gaping hole in the side of Mt. St. Helens. After 41 years, how can it still look like the “moonscape” that President Carter called it? The Toutle River Valley still looks like a mudflow raced down it.

You can’t imagine how immensely HUGE is this mountain until you are standing before it. The pictures and videos just do not show it. Talk about feeling like an ant!

The force of nature that exploding mountain put out is unbelievable. Even after all these years. Even after having dug out of the ash for months afterward at home—some 300 or so miles away! I had forgotten the impact it had our lives.

The boiling ash clouds spread its destruction across the planet in days.

 

 

 

 

 

Young plants everywhere

Recovering Nature

My son, Jeff, and Mom, Jody, wandered all over the mountain, even taking the side roads to find out where they went. We learned a lot.

In the early days, buried seeds sprouted in the desolate landscape. Bears, elk, and other critters wandered across the quiet. Elk being given credit for eating the new growth, and naturally spreading the new seeds wherever they wandered. And the ash nourished the seeds into lovely wildflowers all over the slopes facing the gaping hole. Life returns.

Spirit Lake recovered quickly and just a few years, teemed with life and the waters are purer and sweeter than before. It has sparse surroundings, too bad.

The blast created Coldwater Lake, now a popular recreation spot. So lovely.

Its all young, and hopeful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking Beyond 

As I wandered, stared, took way too many pictures while trying to capture what I saw, I wondered about creation. One fact we learned is that even the gasses that spewed into the air had a job to do—it renewed our atmosphere. Who would have thought?

Out of death comes life, and more abundant life than before.

It would seem that there is a plan for everything on earth. Nothing is wasted. I don’t think I would have gone about creating in this way. But, then, my efforts would never be so all encompassing, nourishing or in depth as that done by the true Creator of the universe.

Immense. Massive. Amazing.

I hope I don’t forget. 

“’Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? … you shall become a plain!’” (Zechariah 4:6,7 NKJV).