Listening to the Message of the Mountains, Mountains Which God Created

Has the beauty, the grandeur, the power of the mountains around us in Alaska ever struck you? I do know that the mountains used to catch the attention of my mother in law, Alice Tobin. After a stroke in 1996, Kathy’s mom lived with us in one way or another, beginning in March of 1997. This elderly daughter of God, who was born in Shreveport, LA, and who lived most of her life in Memphis, TN, spent the last 12 years of her life in Palmer, Alaska, of all places. As her years progressed, her mind became fuzzy at times. So, as we drove her from our home to the Pioneer Home, we often heard her exclaim, “Look at those mountains! Have they always been there?” Perhaps her mind was still in Memphis, and she was surprised by the mountains of Palmer. The thing is, the mountains of Alaska really caught her attention, again and again.

On Tuesday, July 26, Kathy, and Mary, and I were driving from Sterling to Palmer. As we were traveling through Turnagain Pass the splendor of the mountains surrounding me caught my attention again, and almost overwhelmed me with their presence, their beauty and grandeur. They towered high above the road on which we drove, filling the windshield and windows. The rock cliffs stood out. Green meadows gave contrast to the black fields of shale. The streams of runoff from the rain and the snow melt cascaded down from the heights. It is hard not to catch your breath when confronted with the creation of God!

We in Alaska are truly blessed, because the creation around us stands out so obviously that the hand of God is difficult to miss. I have recently also been fishing on the Kenai River, and fished with a dip net at the mouth of the Kasilof River. I have traveled into Cook Inlet and fished for halibut. The sound of the rushing rivers, the beating of waves on shore, the bouncing of the boat on the incoming and outgoing tides, and the swells caused by the wind, all speak of power greater than anything I know or possess. But, perhaps the imposing height and beauty of the mountains catches my breath most often.