 Thank you to Dale Klien for this article! Here is a story about a camping trip my son and I took this Memorial Day Weekend and the lessons we learned.MEMORIAL WEEKEND 2000 Michael, my 8 year old son, and I were on a mission to see a moose in Colorado's North Park region, in the State Forest State Park, 75 miles west of Fort Collins on the scenic byway Hwy 14. As we have now taking up a love for camping, I decided I would use these wonderful opportunities to teach Michael about life through the experiences we face while camping. I got this idea from a book I read by Steve Chapman, "Outdoor Insights, What a Dad Can Teach a Child in God's Great Outdoors". He is also the author of, "A Look at Life from a Deer Stand". These two books are wonderful and a very quick read. I would recommend both of these for anyone with a love of the outdoors and a love for God. Here are some of the thoughts I wrote down from our trip and shared with Michael in hopes that he learns more about God and about how to live life. Sunday evening 5/28/00 This is Michael and my third night in the Colorado State Forest State Park. Many thoughts have hit me this weekend. When we first arrived to our campsite it started to rain. Do we focus on the bad time we are going to have? NO, we wait it out and watch as God places a beautiful rainbow beyond the lake and in front of the Medicine Bow Mountains. I hope the pictures of the rainbow turn out. God does this with trials in our life as well. As we go through the trial, we should not focus on the trial, but on God. He will lead us through every step of the way. We will grow closer to him during these times and come out on the other side better than before. We need to always ask ourselves, What lesson are you trying to teach me Lord? What positive can I take from this? The next morning we set out to find a moose. Approximately 550-600 of Colorado's 850 moose are located in this North Park region. As we hiked and drove around the first day, it looked as though we would never see a moose. We saw plenty of moose sign, if you know what I mean, but no real moose. At one point I even conceded and took Michael's picture in front of a life size barbed-wire moose at the visitor center. As we persevered into the day we spotted 2 moose grazing in the meadow, like they had been there all day just waiting for us to come by. In the same way God is always there for us. All we have to do is turn to him. We don't physically see him, but he is always there. It was very cool, although this species of moose is the smallest in the US and they, several months earlier shed their antlers, they were very impressive. We watched for awhile, but these moose are not like elk in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park and let you watch them all day. They soon got nervous and trotted into the woods. On Saturday night I woke about 2 am and went outside. The sky was filled with more stars than I could imagine. The lake was so calm that I could see their reflection in it. How incredible is our God? His wonder, beauty and power are limitless. Do we put a limit on God's power, do we make God too small? On Sunday Michael and I were hiking along the ranger lakes checking out the sites and enjoying the day when we came across an elderly lady who had sprained her ankle and was being helped by her husband and her niece. We were about half a mile from the parking lot and as I approached them, I thought to myself, 'What Would Jesus Do?'(WWJD) So I offered my assistance. They gladly took me up on it. She could barely walk and really needed help. We made it up one small hill, down another, and up another, where we had her sit down on a log as her husband went back to the parking lot to get help. She was now in a place where they could drive back to pick her up. As the rangers came to administer 1st aid, the family graciously thanked us. As I walked away I said to Michael, "I wonder how many people passed them by and didn't offer to help?" How many times have I walked past a person in need and never stopped or offered my help? Jesus was always helping others. He always put others before himself. We need to be more like Jesus! As I write this, we are sitting in front of the campfire. It too reminds me of our relationship with God. The more wood the bigger, warmer, and brighter the flames. In our relationship with God, the more we read the Bible, pray, and fellowship, the brighter he shines through us, and the stronger we are in our faith, and the more we can make a difference in the world today. Flat tire, minor speed bump. Don't dwell on why it happened, change it, put it in 4WD and get to where you are going and enjoy it. Miscellaneous thoughts from Michael and I: -Waffles in the wilderness with a mountain view are great, so is the coffee. -Michael made new friends, Lindsay, Zack, Luke, Ben, Hanah, etc... -Thank you God for this beautiful campground. -Kids have an eye for detail, they can see a screw puncturing a rear tire while filling up with gas, while Dad is only worried about cleaning the windows and getting to the next location. -Kids also teach us patience, I have to realize that an ant or whatever particular bug is flying or crawling by can be just as impressive as seeing a moose for the first time. -Michael may have a future as a Jai Alai player, aka "Fling Toss". You can pick up your 2-man set at a local Target for $9.99. -The name the Indians gave the moose means, "Eater of Twigs". -If you build a moose viewing deck above classic moose habitat, it doesn't mean moose are going to hang out there. -Kids love mummy sleeping bags, and think it's "Cool" when only there face is sticking out of the bag. -Don't forget to bring the bikes next time and I might want to start thinking about investing in some fishing equipment. -Finally, as James Taylor sang in 'Sweet Baby James', "Deep Greens and Blues are the colors I choose" I realize I also choose these colors in God's beautiful mountainous country of Colorado.Dale Klein Deuteronomy 6:5-7 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about themwhen you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie downand when you get up. |
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