God in the Caves
I mentioned yesterday that I went with my 4th Grade Son on his end of the year field trip to the Sequoyah Caverns. I intended to come back and laugh with you about my own 6th Grade excursion to the Atlanta Zoo in which I somehow managed to change boyfriends three times in one day (thankfully I'm now over that habit) to the hilarity of one of my son's classmates falling in the shark tank at the Chattanooga Aquarium. (It was only funny because the sharks were not the child-eating variety. Give me a little credit.)
My plans changed after having myself a God Encounter several hundred feet underground.
When I found out the trip was to the caverns, one of my fears was on how I was going to contain myself if the guide began telling us how many billions of years it would have taken for these caves to form. I was already rehearsing in my mind how I could conversate with the guide in such a way as to make sure the children understood the flaws in the evolution theory and then of course, talk about The Flood, people. I would be compelled to talk about The Flood!
At which point I am sure all the parents would have been rolling their eyes and the guide would have accidentally on purpose led me down a long-closed cavern and left me there for the bats to drink my blood.
But I was willing to suffer for Jesus, y'all.
I've never been to the Caverns before so I wasn't prepared for them to be so stunningly beautiful. Would you look at this?
And that wasn't all. The reflecting pools were my personal favorites but my camera just wouldn't pick up in the dark. The water reflected the ceiling of the cave in such a way so that you felt you would fall hundreds of feet into an abyss and yet the pool was only a foot deep. Amazing.
Anyway, here's the good part. Our guide, Rebecca, (who according to the website is a great-granddaughter to the 3rd power of the original owners) began to describe the difference between stalactites and stalagmites. As she went into the different phases of her presentation, I kept waiting to hear the billion year stuff because I was ready to take her down. However, Rebecca showed a glassed-in area filled with soda straws. She explained to the kids this section of straws was veing used to collect scientific data. Even though the straws began growing at the exact same time, they were very different sizes which baffled the scientists. So far, there was no way to calculate a rate of growth for the mineral tubes.
Which begs the question: If a scientist can not even figure the rate of growth for such a tiny piece of geology, how in the world can they dare presume the age of the earth?
I'm just sayin'.
She then showed us fossils on the roof of the cave that were of sea creatures. HUNDREDS OF FEET UNDER GROUND AND ON A MOUNTAIN. She asked the kids to think about how there could be in skeletal evidence of both sea creatures and mammals in the exact same fossil layer. Her answer? A Huge Flood!!
And I was officially in love with this girl.
After the tour I talked with Rebecca and asked her point blank if she was a Christian.
"Yes, Ma'am!!" she said. She went on to tell me she had to be somewhat careful with school groups not to get too preachy but that she and her family never apologized for their beliefs about the origin of the earth and the beauty of these God-formed caves.
I smothered her with compliments and made sure she knew the impact she was having by sharing Creation with the hundreds of school children she sees each year. It was so great being able to expand on what she taught my group of four with more biblical truth instead of deprogramming them from error.
I can not express my renewed sense of awe at the fact that God is everywhere. From the expanse of the sky to the deepest holes in the earth, He is there. And when unbelieving scientists won't praise Him?
Well, then even the rocks in the darkest crevasses of the earth will cry out in their stead.
In the words of David, my heart once again worships with Psalm 139:
"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you."
Have a wonderful Saturday and Holy-Spirit-filled Lord's Day!
At which point I am sure all the parents would have been rolling their eyes and the guide would have accidentally on purpose led me down a long-closed cavern and left me there for the bats to drink my blood.
But I was willing to suffer for Jesus, y'all.
I've never been to the Caverns before so I wasn't prepared for them to be so stunningly beautiful. Would you look at this?
And that wasn't all. The reflecting pools were my personal favorites but my camera just wouldn't pick up in the dark. The water reflected the ceiling of the cave in such a way so that you felt you would fall hundreds of feet into an abyss and yet the pool was only a foot deep. Amazing.
Anyway, here's the good part. Our guide, Rebecca, (who according to the website is a great-granddaughter to the 3rd power of the original owners) began to describe the difference between stalactites and stalagmites. As she went into the different phases of her presentation, I kept waiting to hear the billion year stuff because I was ready to take her down. However, Rebecca showed a glassed-in area filled with soda straws. She explained to the kids this section of straws was veing used to collect scientific data. Even though the straws began growing at the exact same time, they were very different sizes which baffled the scientists. So far, there was no way to calculate a rate of growth for the mineral tubes.
Which begs the question: If a scientist can not even figure the rate of growth for such a tiny piece of geology, how in the world can they dare presume the age of the earth?
I'm just sayin'.
She then showed us fossils on the roof of the cave that were of sea creatures. HUNDREDS OF FEET UNDER GROUND AND ON A MOUNTAIN. She asked the kids to think about how there could be in skeletal evidence of both sea creatures and mammals in the exact same fossil layer. Her answer? A Huge Flood!!
And I was officially in love with this girl.
After the tour I talked with Rebecca and asked her point blank if she was a Christian.
"Yes, Ma'am!!" she said. She went on to tell me she had to be somewhat careful with school groups not to get too preachy but that she and her family never apologized for their beliefs about the origin of the earth and the beauty of these God-formed caves.
I smothered her with compliments and made sure she knew the impact she was having by sharing Creation with the hundreds of school children she sees each year. It was so great being able to expand on what she taught my group of four with more biblical truth instead of deprogramming them from error.
I can not express my renewed sense of awe at the fact that God is everywhere. From the expanse of the sky to the deepest holes in the earth, He is there. And when unbelieving scientists won't praise Him?
Well, then even the rocks in the darkest crevasses of the earth will cry out in their stead.
In the words of David, my heart once again worships with Psalm 139:
"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you."
Have a wonderful Saturday and Holy-Spirit-filled Lord's Day!