Dear Mt. Olive family and friends,
Quite possibly you’ve been there. You’re eyes have beheld the breathtaking
beauty of the Grand Canyon. I’m sure
you enjoyed the magnificent sight as I did.
Recently a couple friends were
enjoying the splendor of the Grand Canyon and they met a lady who was also
taking in the view. The lady’s husband
remained in the car, however, declaring that it was only a “big hole.” He saw no cause for excitement. Wouldn’t even get out of the car.
Since hearing of that situation, a
lot of thoughts – and not a few questions - have come into my mind. I’ve wondered what could possibly make a
person so unhappy, so forlorn, so depressing.
How could anyone not gaze with awe for hours on end at that marvelous
vista? How could anyone confuse such a
spectacular sight with nothing more than a “big hole”?
Maybe he was in excruciating
pain. Maybe his back and legs hurt so
badly that even the Grand Canyon couldn’t lure him out of the car. Maybe he lived day after day with migraine
headaches. Maybe he was dealing with
terminal illness, and was nauseous and utterly miserable.
Maybe his body was fine but his heart
had just been broken. Maybe he was
dealing with deep, dark depression or bipolar disorder. Maybe the rug of life had just been pulled
from under him and he would rather jump into that big hole than look at it.
Or maybe he was just that kind of person. Maybe he grew up in a home where Mom or Dad
(or both) were extremely negative and unpleasant. Maybe he was so selfish that he was doing all he could to make
sure his wife was as miserable as he.
Maybe his only pleasure in life was making others unhappy.
Truth is, I don’t know why this man
saw the amazingly beautiful and colorful Grand Canyon as only a “big
hole.” I do know that it’s sad,
regardless of the cause. Not only was
he missing out on an opportunity to enjoy life, but he was undoubtedly robbing
his wife and family of that joy as well.
Do you ever view life as nothing more than a “big hole”? See the world only as dark, evil, colorless,
boring? View people as dull, dense, or
wicked? Do you ever see so much bad
that you can’t enjoy the good? Is your
focus on the terrible, the appalling, and the horrendous (like the network
news), or on the wonderful, the remarkable, the amazing?
There are many things that happen around us that we cannot
change. How we view things and how we
respond, however, are things that we can change. If you tend to be a bitter, sour, unpleasant sort of guy or gal,
you would do yourself a big favor if you worked on changing that. Strive for balance in the way you feel about
and respond to the events of life.
As Christians, we have every reason to enjoy the life we have
been given. Though far from ideal, we
live each day in grace. Our gracious
Lord has allowed us the privilege of experiencing and being a part of His
beautiful creation.
Furthermore, neither terrorists, tornadoes, hurricanes, disease
nor disaster can take from us the love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus our
Savior. And ultimately heaven will
welcome us home for all eternity.
In the meantime, you can gaze with awe into the Grand Canyon, or
you can mumble something about a “big hole.”
It’s your call!
In the name of the One who designed the Grand Canyon and so much
more,
Pastor Carl Henkel
Join us at Mt. Olive for
651.645.2575