Sequoia National Park – So disappointing!

Not the park, of course! But not being able to visit the park – that’s what was so disappointing.

It was hot! 100 degrees plus all day long. 

We had driven the last hills and curves of the roads leading to the South Entrance, pulling into Three Rivers Hideaway, an RV Park just outside the entrance to the park. I’d made reservations six months prior. We were tired from the long drive from Yosemite National Park.

I don’t know why, but we didn’t even think about the fires or the smoke. We actually weren’t aware of Coffee Pot Fire, which had begun a month prior to our arrival, near Coffeepot Canyon in the Sequoia National Park. Of course it had spread in the weeks since it started. Evidently it was somewhat contained, but a large tree burned, fell, and rolled over the containment line. Boom! The fire spread more!

I wondered why the hostess at the campground office gave us the website info to check on road closures and smoky areas within the Park. So I did! Check the website, that is. I read reports that the General Sherman tree area was smoky. And we could smell the smoke outdoors. Not knowing  how many other roads and areas of the park might close throughout the day ahead, we decided to move on – in our venture. 

What a disappointment! The largest trees in the world. and we were right next door. The chances are we’ll never again get to see them – will never again be in this area, over 2300 miles from our home.

Life is like that. Full of disappointments from time to time. Things don’t turn out like we want. 

This change of plans – not going to Sequoia National Park really is low on the list of disappointing times in my life. You know what I mean. You – and I – have undoubtedly had disappointments much greater than this.

Job spoke of disappointments:

Caravans (like our travel trailer) turn aside from their routes; They are confounded because they had hoped; their arrival brings disappointment.

(Job 6:20 paraphrased)

Now I can laugh knowing that my disappointment in not visiting Sequoia National Park was nothing like Job’s troubles!

But some of the afflictions and problems we have in life are similar to Job’s. And in those, we can still trust:. 

We cry out and flee to safety; In the Lord God, we trust and are not disappointed.

Psalm 22:5 paraphrased

 These problems – setbacks – disappointments – trials – afflictions – lead us from one step of growth to another, eventually giving us exactly what we need – hope! And . . .

“This hope will not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Romans 5:5

Never forget, my friend, Biblical hope is not “wishing” something to happen. Biblical hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised! The strength of this promise is in His faithfulness!

In the New Testament, Paul teaches the Corinthians about the “new ministry” that has come in place of the old – the “New Covenant” that replaces the Old Covenant.

Therefore, since through God’s mercy (see it’s because of God’s mercy), we have this (new) ministry, do not lose hope.

Do not lose hope.

(1 Corinthians 4:1 paraphrased)

          Ron and I have gone through problems (disappointments) that have made missing out on the Sequoias miniscule in comparison!

          This passage describes us as we suffered yet trusted in Christ Jesus: 

We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

(2 Corinthians 5:8)

            Do these words describe your journey, as well?

. . . hard-pressed on every side . . .  perplexed . . . persecuted . . . struck down . . . 

In our distress, moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, light to dark, or dark to light, the knowledge of the glory of God kept us from being crushed, lifted us out of despair, protected us from abandonment, and healed us when we were struck down.  Why? Because we always carried around Jesus!

   Therefore . . . we do not lose hope. 

1 Corinthians 4:1

Carry around Jesus, my friend. 

During our times of distress, our enemy, Satan tries to make us believe that we are worthless and hopeless, broken jars of clay, to be discarded. Jesus tells us otherwise.

The Bible tells us not to give up, not to be in despair, not to lose hope. Go to your Bibles, friends. Make notes. Highlight.  It’s powerfully encouraging!

Further reading: 1 Corinthians 4; 2 Corinthians 5

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