Nature is Both Beautiful and Ominous!

Watching the news reports of the destruction left behind from recent the Oklahoma tornadoes evoked a solemn prayer for those experiencing the loss of life and property. A feeling of shared loss is rooted in the knowledge that at any time it could happen to my family and me.  The destruction reminded me that nature is always in motion and we are but spectators. These cataclysmic events have always occurred. The difference is that now people live in their path and are affected in increasing numbers.

You don’t have to go far in Island Park to see evidence of the ominous power that the earth generates. The entire area is covered by the remnants of volcanic activity. Drive down the road towards Coffee Pot and you will see fifteen foot boulders standing in the forest like solitary monuments to the volcano that expelled them.  The gritty soil that is present throughout the area is eroded lava. Drive up to the top of Black Mountain and see the immense boulders of black volcanic glass left behind on a landscape once covered by molten rock.

Sheri winces every time she hears the area described as the world’s largest active volcanic caldera and she avoids any of those “Yellowstone’s volcano erupts and everyone dies!” movies. This area may not have the earthquakes and mudslides of southern California, the tornadoes of the mid-west or the violent storms of the east coast but we do live under the threat of fire and volcanic activity.

The earth is alive and in a constant state of change. Some changes are subtle and others are dramatic. Some changes we are able to witness from a safe distance and others we have a front row seat. Let us show our gratitude for our safety by being compassionate to those who are struggling.