Amazing…

O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!
    In wisdom you have made them all.
    The earth is full of your creatures                                                                                                      Psalm 104:24

We have just returned from a trip to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton National Park. There were, of course so many fascinating sights and geological wonders that it was almost “other worldly”. I always come away from such trips with a sense of awe about our Creator, and the splendor and intricacy of creation.

For example, there was a devastating fire in Yellowstone Park in 1988 that wiped out almost 40% of the vegetation in certain areas of the park. One can still see the remnants of that fire with barren trees littering large areas. Yet interspersed with those dead relics is new growth. The Lodgepole Pine is the largest species of tree in the park, and the fire actually aids in the spread of this tree. The Lodgepole Pine has seeds imbedded in tiny pine cones that are covered with a thin layer of wax. When there is a fire, the waxy substance melts, freeing millions of new seeds to fall to the earth. The ash produced by the destructive fire is a great growth medium for the new crop of pines which will prosper for decades after the fire.

Certain bird species, such as Clark’s Nutcracker, are especially suited to spread the pine seeds as they gather them for food. What the Nutcrackers drop, the squirrels and bears use for food. Bears especially love the pine nuts which are rich in fat and calories which they need to bulk up for a cold winter.

These are just a few of the amazing designs of nature that show creativity and diversity as well as symbiotic relationships. Nature needs for species to nurture one another and depend on one another. Sometimes this looks like predator and prey, but often it looks like interdependence.

What an amazing creation…     

Prayer: Lord, we stand in awe of your creation, Amen