A Lesson On Patience from The Grand Canyon

I wasn't prepared for the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon when I first saw it during my road trip this summer. 

It had been a longer-than-expected drive that day because I miscalculated when I estimated my drive time.  

I had put "Grand Canyon National Park" into my Apple Maps the day before and saw that it was a little over five hours from Salt Lake City, where I had spent the night.  So, I slept in and got a leisurely breakfast before heading out. 

Then, I put in the coordinates for the campground I had reservations for that evening and discovered that I had an additional three hours to drive since it was on the South Rim of the Canyon.  

By the time I finally arrived at the park's entrance, it was around 7 p.m. As I drove toward the campsite, I saw a turnoff for a view of the Canyon and decided to take a peek.  

Some folks call the time I arrived "The Golden Hour," when the sun begins to set, and the light takes on a golden hue. This brings everything it shines on into sharper relief, with what seems like layers of light. 

The view was breathtaking.  Photos don't do it justice, but I tried to capture it. 

As I stood there in the cool of the evening, taking in the incredible beauty that I was witnessing, I felt overwhelmed by it all. It was almost too beautiful to absorb, and I felt a flood of emotions wash over me. 

I felt grateful that I was given the gift of being able to be there in that moment.  I felt awe in the sheer wonder of what I was seeing.  And I felt rather small when I realized how much time it took to create it. 

I would go on to learn that all of the multicolored layers of rock that formed the walls of the Canyon told a story of millions of years of creation, marking the passing of ages and chronicling the passage of time. 

I remember thinking, "That takes a lot of patience."  

As someone who believes in a Creator who continues to create, I couldn't help but ponder what kind of joy that Creator must feel when people marvel at what time, patience, and creativity have wrought and take delight in what they see. 

It is hard to comprehend the patient and joyful artistry of that kind of Creator. Setting Creation in motion so that it has the freedom to become, evolve, and transform takes a great deal of love and more than a measure of boundless creativity.  

With all that in mind, I thought of my own life and how I am seldom patient with myself.  

Most of us struggle with patience when it comes to our own development.  We want to avoid the pressure of true transformation and get on to the next thing.  We desire to be more and better than we are, but when it doesn't happen on our timetable, we often despair that it will ever occur.

But the God who continues to create and make all things new is also working to do the same with us.  

I couldn't help but think about a series of bumper stickers and posters that were prevalent when I was young. They bore the words: "Please be patient; God isn't finished with me yet."  

God never tires of making us new, and we can experience this if we are willing throughout our natural lives.  Even the most reticent among us have moments when we realize we've changed over time.  

Some of us even struggle against the changes and newness we experience, afraid to simply marvel at them and acknowledge that new layers are constantly being added to us.  

May we learn patience with ourselves as we let the Creator create when it comes to us.  May we learn to embrace the changes when they come.  And may we find gratitude and joy in what the Creator has done and will do within us and all around us. 

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever. Amen.