This is Balanced Rock at Big Bend NP. Well named, although Balanced Boulder might be more accurate. For perspective on size, I could not touch the rock when I was standing under it. How did that rock wind up there? Unlike the formation with the same name at Arches, this is clearly not just the result of erosion. It sure looks like it came rolling down and wedged itself into that position.

There are a lot of things in life that leave us wondering how they came to be. I see many people with infections who want to know how they got that infection. More often than not, I have to admit that we have no idea. Not knowing can be frustrating; I think it exposes our vulnerability. It also reinforces the knowledge that we don’t always get what we want.

Ignatius of Loyola taught that we should seek neither health nor sickness, wealth nor poverty. Rather, we should seek only that which draws us closer to God.

When we were traveling around Big Bend NP, we took great delight in finding these cacti with a purple color. I really wanted to get a picture of this cactus with Santa Elena Canyon in the (distant) background. So much so that as I was positioning myself, I backed into a cactus. Which was startling but not particularly painful. Unfortunately, as I was pulling a needle out of my backside, I got a small piece wedged under my fingernail. That was excruciatingly painful. I had to trim my nail all the way back to get the remnant out.

I’m struck by how strong (and strange) that memory is, and the contrast with the beauty of the photo. Even the smallest of details matter.

This was a very nice hike in Big Bend NP, the Window Trail. In the photo, you can see the Window, which is an opening in the rim around the Chisos Basin. After a hard rain, there would be waterfall flowing through the opening (pour-off). It was completely dry while we were there. Being November, it was also much cooler than the summer. We saw lots of signs about completing hikes by 10AM to avoid the worst heat.

I think most of us try to be aware of the dangers that surround us. Additionally, we all have a tendency to see only what we are looking for. The beginning of 2020 seems like a distant memory, when things were “normal” and “safe”. Though the world has not fundamentally changed, our experience and perspective has definitely changed over the past year. While current events can be disturbing, remember that God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

We had a cactus similar to this next to our driveway at a vacation house in Virginia Beach. It seemed out of place in Virginia but fits in perfectly in Western Texas (Big Bend National Park).

Whether we fit in or stand out, we can be certain that God has a purpose for where we find ourselves.

This photo was taken near the top of the List Mine Trail in Big Bend National Park. The thing I remember most about this section of the hike is how windy it was. At this point, we were heading directly toward the sun. As you can see in the photo, the trail is only about 10 feet wide with a decent drop off on both sides. I didn’t feel like I was going to be blown over, but it was difficult to walk straight.

I’ve written before about seeing the effects of the wind even though you can not see the wind. This was an experience of feeling the wind even though there was little visible evidence of the wind.

God moves and sometimes we see the result. Other times, we only feel the effect.