Utah!
What a joy it was to travel to Utah with my 38-year-old youngest son Aaron. Last year when my older son, Jason, age 45, asked me to go to Berlin with him to study the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I had a wonderful time, not only being in Berlin, and studying the life of this great man, but mostly spending time one-on-one with Jason. This inspired me to ask each of my other kids where they would like to travel with me, just the two of us.
Aaron chose Utah. I thought…..Utah???? As I drove to the Chicago area to spend the night with my daughter Shannon and her family, took the train to St. Paul, MN, to stay with Jason and his family, and then flew to Utah with Aaron, I kept asking myself, “Why Utah?!?!”
Once I experienced it, I am so happy that he chose this state. Never would I have chosen it as a destination, always having thought of it as a pass-through state where I would collect a Starbucks mug and walk a labyrinth, as I attempt to get a mug and walk a labyrinth in every state. What an amazing adventure! We visited Bryce Canyon with the Hoodoos and Amphitheaters; Zion National Park that reminded us of South Dakota with the Badlands and Sunday Gulch where I worked as a camp director for 15 summers; and my favorite, Arches National Park, seeing the Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, the Three Gossips and so much more. What an amazing landscape! Each so different and each pointing to the Creator and splendor of this world.
Many thanks to Aaron for having me visit Utah. Many thanks to all my kids for wanting to travel with me. It is with deep gratitude that I write this. Gratitude to my kids, their families for holding down the fort while they are away, and gratitude to my God for designing such places of majesty and awe.
As I experienced Utah, hiking to the different rock formations as far as I could, then waiting as Aaron hiked/climbed the rest of the way, the song “Majesty” ran through my mind.
“Majesty, worship God’s majesty,
Jesus who died, now glorified,
King of all Kings. Majesty,
worship God’s majesty;
unto Jesus be all glory, honor and praise.”
My favorite psalm also came to me:
Psalm 121
“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.
He will not let your foot slip-
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you-
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm-
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.”
