After attending Jeff and Lesa's wedding reception, we had a picnic in the mountains and tried to find a camping spot near enough to Denver that we could attend church with our friends the next morning.
Most of the time, since we don't want to spend much if any money, we choose to find a free spot in the national forest, but then we never know exactly where we will end up or if it will be very fun or not.
We just go and make the best of what happens--
and usually enjoy ourselves immensely after it's all said and done.
This time, we meandered back a road that followed a train track and were surprised by finding a huge parking area back in the mountains near this train tunnel named Moffat Tunnel,
which Jonathan found out was built around 1930 and is 6.2 miles long.
Did you get that?
Over six miles long under the dark mountain.
That's eerie just thinking about it.
There were a lot of vehicles there with their owners apparently off hiking around the Continental Divide.
A train was waiting for the green light to proceed through the tunnel.
And our children waited for it, too.
Sam is pumping his arm to get the train engineer to blow the whistle--
and he did!
We watched train after train that evening and the next morning chug past on those tracks.
There it went, right into that awful hole in the mountainside,
that six-mile long tunnel.
Sometimes we think our tunnels are longer than other people's.
Maybe we think ours have just got to be about six miles long like this one.
And the Union Pacific Railway train of life just goes rumbling on, sometimes whizzing through a green light, and sometimes waiting at some long red light,
but always rumbling on and on and on,
through inevitable tunnels.
We were fascinated with the enormous fans that turned on every once in a while and roared till you could hardly hear yourself think.
Jonathan thinks they were to blow exhaust fumes out of the tunnel.
And you have to admit, exhaust fumes build up inside our tunnels, don't they?
Anxieties.
Complaints.
Worries.
Grumbling.
Fears.
Loneliness.
Distress and despair.
Negativity of various sorts down in the darkness and narrow straits of our tunnels.
And sometimes we really wish we had someone else's tunnel.
To us, it just looks like a short little culvert.
"She only has diabetes; I have cancer."
"They only have two kids; I have a dozen!"
"He has a nice cushy job while sitting in an office or lab at home; my husband works away all day and still has to work all evening."
"Their parents died suddenly and without suffering; I'm taking care of my cranky, selfish in-laws day in and day out."
"They inherited a nice home and lots of money; I inherited a huge debt."
"They went to heaven surrounded by their family singing; I'm afraid I may have to suffer and die a martyr's death."
The other person's tunnel looks like such a short tunnel--and you can even see the light at the end of it!
They have flowers by their tunnel; you have thistles.
They get to pick raspberries by their tunnel;
you aren't allowed to eat carbs or sugar or gluten.
They have lots of money; you pinch the blood out of nickels.
But we really don't know about the other person's tunnel.
Maybe it is not all flowers and raspberries.
Maybe they have tunnels they can't talk about because they are personal.
Because to talk about some of their tunnels might unnecessarily dishonor someone, and they want to act in love even though they live in constant hurt.
Maybe they really want to not spend their life complaining
and instead breathe thankfulness and joy and you just don't find out about every burden they carry.
Maybe for someone else, it is indeed a short tunnel,
but maybe the water is deep and rushing and they will lose their footing--
while we chug through our six-mile long tunnel
with Christ in the engine--
all safe and sound!
Oh, Engineer of Heaven and Earth,
my prayer today is for all those in any tunnel!
Keep those who are in deep, rushing waters from losing their footing and dashing their heads against the rocks.
And remind those who feel like their tunnel is miles long with no end in sight
that You are their Engineer and will bring them safely through!
Bring us through every Moffat Tunnel
and through every rushing culvert
with the promise from Your Word:
"The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations." (I Peter 2:9)
You write such encouraging things. I liked this post about the tunnels. Also, I think back very often to your post about the onions; how sometimes it's ok to just cry and keep peeling! I wish I had printed that one out.
ReplyDeleteVery good! Thank you for sharing what the Lord shows you in life's pictures.
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