Another helper came forward and told of the God-Connection that he had found. He had gone to the Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado. He told the teacher that this national park has many unique features. There are hiking trails that go up into the mountains to the tree line and even higher than that. There are alpine lakes, and wetlands at low altitudes.
The helper said that the two things that impressed him the most were the creek and the sand dunes.
Medano Creek runs along the base of the sand dunes.
The unusual thing about this creek is that it has waves, like those found at the great lakes or the ocean. The waves are smaller because the creek is not very large. The waves are caused by large chunks of sand falling into the creek, this happens about once ever 20 seconds and causes the frequent waves. Kids and adults love to splash in the waves or build sandcastles. If the level of the creek is high enough, a person can ride a skimboard (like a small surfboard without fins) or even a surfboard. The creek is a fun place!
The sand dunes are incredible! These are the largest sand dunes in North America and cover 30 square miles! The highest dune is around 750 feet tall! On summer afternoons the temperature of the sand can get to 150 degrees, so it is best to spend time on the dunes during the mornings or evenings or visit the park when it is not summer!
The most fun activities on the sand dunes are sledding and sandboarding. These sports are very similar to snow sledding and snowboarding that many people enjoy during the winter. However, regular snowboards and sleds will not slide on the sand, special sandsleds and sandboards are needed for the dunes. The national park does not rent sleds or boards, but there are several rental places close to the park.
This park has a great variety of attractions and activities so that there is something for everyone to enjoy!
Application for you and me:
The helper said that the God-Connection that he had found was the sand! There is so much sand in this park, 30 square miles of sand piled up in tall dunes, some of them over 700 feet tall! That is a lot of sand! The helper said that he had decided to count 100 grains of sand to see how big a pile that made. The 100 grains of sand a tiny pile in the middle of the palm of his hand. The number of grains of sand in this park cannot be counted! And there is much more sand on all the beaches, dunes, and desserts around the world! The amount of sand on this planet is amazing!
The Bible talks about the number of grains of sand in the world.
In Psalm 139:17-18 it says:
How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
It is incredible; God, who made the entire universes, has thoughts about you and me! We are on His mind! God is not just content to watch his creation, He takes an active part every day, and He thinks about each of us individually! That is how much He loves us, He always wants the best for us every day, but we must learn to listen to Him and follow Him.
In the Bible, Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
We cannot number the grains of sand in the world, and we cannot number the thoughts that God has about us! He loves us that much!