When Kris and Kell finished canoeing at Caddo Lake State Park in Texas, they went back to their cabin to have another microwaved meal, and they found an envelope in their microwave. The note in the envelope told them to drive back to Longview, Texas the next day and catch a plane to their next destination.
The next day they arrived at the airport and found plane tickets waiting for them. They were going to Kansas. There was a note with the tickets that told them that there would be a rental car waiting for them and they had reservations to stay several days at their destination so that they could get some rest (they had been traveling non-stop and they needed a rest). They were excited, they were going to stay at an Airbnb! They had never had a chance to stay at an Airbnb before, but they knew that usually these places were very nice! They spent their time on the trip trying to guess what kind of a place they were going to stay in.
Kris was hoping to an old farm house out in the country that had been completely remodeled and updated. He was hoping for a swimming pool, a hot tub, a lake, a kayak, and an outdoor fire pit.
Kell was hoping for a modern house with high ceilings, a great room, a huge kitchen and dining area, and a canopy bed in the master bedroom.
They were both surprised when they got to their destination! The Airbnb was underground in an abandoned missle silo! This was kind of creepy! They were staying at the old Atlas F Missile Base in the Smoky Hills of Kansas. This Missle base closed in 1965, but before that there was a missle housed in this silo that was part of our nation’s defense system against our enemies. Fortunately the missle never had to be used. Now the underground missle silo is privately owned and the owner is gradually remodeling it into an educational center.
The Airbnb rooms are on the first level below ground. The owner gave Kris and Kell a tour of the missle silo, and the large, round, deep opening where the missle used to stand was kind of scary!
Their rooms were nice, but it was not what they were expecting. They did enjoy their time staying at this Airbnb and got a lot of rest. During the days there were many hiking trails in the area and also there was a park with a lake nearby where they could go kayaking or enjoy the bike trails. In the evenings there was always a campfire outside the missle silo and the sky was so clear and dark that Kris and Kell sat for hours watching the stars!
On the day that they were supposed to leave the owner of the missle silo came to Kris and Kell and told them that they were supposed to go back to the airport to get instructions about their next adventure!
Lesson Learned about God:
Staying in a former missile silo was an unforgettable experience, but staying there made Kris and Kell think about and remember why all the missile silos were built in the first place. The missile silos were built because of the hatred in the world. This world is filled with hate between individual people and between nations. The Bible teaches us that all people have a sin nature, and hatred come easily and naturally to people.
After the great flood, when Noah and his family came out of the ark, he built an alter and made a sacrifice to God. God made a promise at this time. God said that He would never again curse the earth or destroy all living things (the flood destroyed all living things that were not on the ark).
In the Bible in Genesis 8:21-22 God says:
And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”
God knew that humans would quickly turn back to sinful ways after the flood. Humans are ‘bent’ toward evil in everything we say or do, from our childhood. Children do not need to be taught how to misbehave, and neither do adults! Bad behavior comes to us as naturally as breathing and living!
God sent the flood in Noah’s time to show us how bad and sinful human nature really is. The flood stopped the spread of sin and evil for a very short time, but God knew that the flood would not solve the problem of evil. Despite this, God promised that He would not destroy every living thing again with another flood, God had a better way planned! God’s plan was that His Son Jesus would come to earth as a human (and still also God), live a perfect life, give His life on the cross to pay the penalty for all sins, and rise from the dead three days later! Sin, evil and hatred are still very much in our world (that is why the missile silo was needed), but now anyone who believes in Jesus, comes to Him in prayer and asks Him to forgive their sins and come into their life, is forgiven and receives a new life from Jesus. We will still struggle with sin and the effects of sin as long as we are alive on this earth, but when our life on this earth is finished, we will go to heaven where we will be free from sin and all the effects of sin!
In the Bible in Romans 3:21-25a it says:
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood.
This old missile silo reminds us of how sinful all humans are, but the good news is that there is forgiveness and a new life available for each person who believes and has faith in Jesus. If you have never done this, please pray today and ask Jesus to forgive you and come into your life!
Report to the grandmother:
- At the travel agency – God has a good plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11
- Florida – God is watching over us, we do not need to be fearful. Psalms 23
- Wisconsin – Temptations. I Corinthians 10:13, Proverbs 14:12, I John 1:9
- Minnesota – Never take your eyes off Jesus. Matthew 14:22-33
- Kentucky – God’s Word (the Bible) is the truth! John 17:17
- Louisianna – Choose Heaven and the Tree of Life. Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:27 thru 22:5
- Illinois – God is in control. Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28-30, Proverbs 16:9
- New Mexico – God is our place of safety. Psalms 46:1-3, Psalms 91:1-2, Psalms 18:1-2, John 14:1-3
- Alabama – Training for heaven. I Peter 1:18-21, I John 3:2-3, Ephesians 5:1-2, I Peter 2:21, II Timothy 4:6-8
- Georgia – Sin erodes a person’s life and brings death. Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 3:22-25a
- Texas – Jesus offers abundant life. John 10:10, Mark 12:29-31.
- Kansas – Humans are filled with hatred and evil. Genesis 8:21-22, Romans 3:21-25a.