Rainforest (Pentecost - Day 14)

This is Cattail Falls in Big Bend National Park,
where this story took place.

(Based on 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10)

I went to Big Bend National Park a couple summers ago and camped with my brother and dad. We hiked a bunch of different trails, but there is one that I will never forget because of what I experienced. I went down the same trail twice, the first time with them and the second time by myself.

The first time we hiked this trail, it was about 110 degrees outside. There were two options for this trail. The first was a six mile hike that started at camp, and the second was a two mile hike that you could drive up to. We took the two mile trip. The trip to the waterfall was really nothing to write home about. When we arrived to the falls, they were a trickle over some rocks. The best part about it was the fresh pool of water gathered underneath the falls, so we all took off our packs and took a swim. The water was frigid, so it felt nice after being in the hot sun. It didn't make sense to me though how the air around us was so hot, yet the water was probably fifty degrees. My legs and feet quickly went numb it was so cold. After the refreshing dip, we rested for awhile and enjoyed the shade trees, preparing ourselves to get back into the blistering sun. 

As we were walking back, the clouds started piling over us and the wind started blowing really hard. The temperature dropped forty degrees in about twenty minutes. What started as a treacherous, sun-ridden journey became a bizarre weather change. The rain and wind made us walk faster and faster, and the lightning made us want to move even faster. It was freezing, and all I wanted to do was get in the car and turn on the heater. This was August, the middle of the summer in the desert. Although the weather provided quite an adventure, what we had gone to see was the waterfall, and it just wasn't moving that day. It was pretty much a disappointment.

I decided the next day that I would take the six mile trip back to the waterfall. It was way harder than I expected because I had loaded my backpack to the brim, and I rigged a folding chair to it as well. It became real heavy real fast. This trail took me up and over one of the peaks in the park, and most of the trip required taking switchbacks all the way down the other side. The hardest part of the trip was the sun, and not knowing how far I had gone or how far I had left. 

I eventually got to the point where I could see the valley forming that led to the waterfall. As I creeped closer and closer, I heard the sound of a low roar coming through the valley. I figured it was the wind blowing through the trees. As I drew nearer, I noticed the noise seemed to get louder, but the wind speed didn't seem to change. The most I was looking forward to was sitting in the cool shade near the waterfall, just to escape the sun for a coupe hours and read my book. What I didn't know was that the rain from yesterday had turned what yesterday was a trickle into a full-blown, white waterfall today. 

As I turned my last corner, I saw mist floating through the trees. It made me walk faster, as I couldn't wait to see what had become of yesterday's disappointment. I got closer, and noticed that the creek that was dry yesterday was now flowing rapidly and was deep. When I got close enough to see the waterfall, I ran to it. I couldn't believe it. It wasn't trickling today. It was pouring over the cliff above, and slamming into the rocks below. I couldn't even get to the water we had swam in yesterday because the water was falling so hard. When I got to a spot close enough that I could taste the mist but not get drenched, I threw my pack down. 

I was blown away. My expectations for this trip were blown out of the water. From what I saw the day before, there was no way I could have expected the complete opposite. Yet, here it was right in front of me. There are no words to describe what was going on in my heart in that moment. I wanted to cry, but I was extremely happy. It was a literal oasis in the desert. A few hundred yards back was scorching, sandy trail, and where I stood now was a rainforest. All the problems going on in my life disappeared. I was sitting in heaven, and I was alone. It was like God and I met each other face to face, and I was speechlessly happy. I sat in my folding chair and let the mist cover me, amazed at what was happening before my eyes. 

What happened that day was a glimpse of heaven. I had been expecting a disappointment, and got a celebration. I had been expecting a trickle, and got a white, rushing, boisterous waterfall. I had traveled through hell and entered into heaven. 

Paul says in 2 Corinthians that the troubles we face here on earth are small potatoes compared to the celebration that is to come. He says that we've each been given a little piece of heaven in our hearts to whet our whistles and give us glimpses of what's waiting for us. 

Usually the glimpse of heaven has to be made pretty obvious to me. I get so bogged down with car trouble, financial insecurity, school, and everything else in life that I forget this is not it. There's more to come. It may be a trickle today, but just wait long enough and endure a little more and there will be a waterfall. There will be an oasis. 

We live out what we believe. Paul encourages us to pay attention to the glimpses of heaven that are trying to catch our eyes every day. He encourages us to remember that even though this life looks more like getting stranded on the side of the road and having to stopover in a run-down shack, we've been given a piece of heaven in our hearts. While on the outside it looks like we're falling apart and the world's imploding on top of us, our insides are being made new. There is more to come, and it's bigger than we could ever imagine. Just hang on.

Today's Action: Whatever problem comes my way, I'm going to thank God that it's just temporary and nothing compared to the celebration to come.