They spent another day in Michigan relaxing and recovering from their hike in the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Kell got a text from Misadventures…Plus telling them to drive to Bonne Terre, Missouri. They were going to take some scuba diving lessons and then go diving in an old lead mine deep beneath the surface of the earth! It was going to be an amazing adventure!
As Kris and Kell were driving, they talked about how much fun it would be to learn how to scuba dive. They also talked about how scary it would be to be diving in an old mine so far beneath the earth. Even though it would be scary, they could hardly wait to start this adventure!
It took the whole day to drive to Bonne Terre, and about an hour before they got there, they went through St. Louis, Missouri. They saw the Gateway Arch as they crossed the Mississippi River, and Kris said, “I have always wanted to go to the top of that arch, I wish we were going there too!” Kell agreed that she had always wanted to go to the arch too.
They arrived in Bonne Terre just as it was getting dark, and they went to the hotel where they were spending the night. They got up early the next morning and were so excited for the great adventure they were going to have that day! They went to the Bonne Terre Lead Mine and could hardly believe their eyes! There was a sign that said the Bonne Terre Mine was closed and they did not know when it would be opened again!
What a misadventure! They had driven all the way to Missouri for nothing! Kell said, “This is the worst misadventure ever! I am going to call Misadventures…Plus and tell them about this, and I am also going to tell them to make reservations for us in St. Louis because we are going back to that city and go to the top of the arch!” The people at Misadventure…Plus apologized to Kris and Kell many times, and told them that they would make all the arrangements for them to have a great time in St. Louis at the Gateway Arch.
A little over an hour later Kris and Kell arrived at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. This arch was built between 1963 and 1965 and is 630 feet tall. It is made of stainless steel.
Trams travel up both legs of the arch so that people can ride to the top and look out the viewing windows.
Kris and Kell rode the tram to the top and spent 10 minutes looking at the views outside the windows. There was a National Park Ranger at the top of the arch to answer any questions that people had. One person in the group asked the Ranger about a rumor that they had heard; they had heard that there was a time capsule hidden at the top of the arch. The Ranger said that it was true. When the arch was being built, the mayor of St. Louis encouraged the people living in St. Louis and the school children to sign a list that would be put in a time capsule. Thousands of people signed the lists. The time capsule was wielded into the final section that was put in place at the top of the arch. The time capsule can never be taken out and opened unless the arch is ever taken down. Hopefully, that will not happen for many, many years!
The trip to the arch was a lot of fun, and Kris and Kell were glad that they got to go there, even though they would have liked to go scuba diving in the old lead mine. Maybe someday when the mine is reopened, they will get another chance to go there.
Lesson Learned about God
That evening when they were back in their hotel, Kris and Kell talked about their day and the fun trip to the top of the Gateway Arch. Kris said, “I really liked that story the Ranger told about all the people signing their names, so that they will be remembered by people in the future, if the time capsule is ever opened. That reminded me that God also has a book where He records all the names of those who have believed in Jesus and accepted Him into their life.
The people’s names on the lists in the time capsule are sealed away and cannot be erased or changed unless the arch is ever taken down. In the same way, when God writes a person’s name in His ‘Book of Life’ the name is permanently in that book, and no one can erase it. When God forgives a person and gives them eternal life because they have believed in Jesus, it is a permanent thing, it will last forever!
If a person’s name is written in God’s Book of Life, they will spend eternity with God. If a person’s name is not written in God’s Book of Life, they will spend eternity being punished in the lake of fire.
In the Bible in Revelation 20:11-15 the final judgement of sinners is described, and it says:
And I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
It is a fearful thing to get to the end of your life on earth without having your sins forgiven! There is not a second chance after that, if you do not have Jesus then you will spend eternity being tormented in the lake of fire.
Believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins and come into your life today and take control! Then your name will be written in God’s Book of Life, and you will not need to fear the lake of fire!
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.
- South Carolina – Reminder of the Crucifixion. Isaiah 53:3-9
- Arkansas – Jesus is Crowned with Glory and Honor. Hebrews 2:9-10, Revelation 19:16, John 11:25-26
- Idaho – Times of Refreshing. Acts 3:19-20a, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 40:28-31
- Washington State – Obeying God is Important! James 1:22-25, James 4:17
- Oregon – Do not let your first love for Jesus erode. Revelation 2:4-5a, Psalms 51:10-12
- Ohio – We are secure in God’s hands. Isaiah 41:13, Psalms 139:9-10, Psalms 73:23-28.
- Iowa – God is in control: Past, Present, & Future. Hebrews 13:8, Revelation 4:8.
- South Dakota – Believers are the family of God. Ephesians 2:19-21, John 1:12-13, Ephesians 1:5, I Thessalonians 5:15-18.
- Indiana – Win the Race! I Corinthians 9:24-27, Matthew 25:21
- Michigan – Cost of following Jesus. Luke 14:27-33.
- Missouri – The Book of Life. Revelation 20:11-15.