Friday we took a drive to Washington to see what's been going on with Mt. St. Helens. It's been quite active since September of last year when it erupted again after being silent for years. We wanted to see it for ourselves. It's a beautiful drive up there, but I was concerned we wouldn't actually get to see the crater since there was a significant cloud layer. Sure enough, when we got there it was like looking at a fog bank, but I said a prayer that we would get to see it before we left. So we viewed the movie and looked through the exhibits and then went outside to listen to the Forest Ranger talked about the mountain. As he was talking we started to see blue sky, and before he was done we were looking into the crater. God is so faithful to hear even our little prayers!
There is a brand new peak inside the crater (the tooth-like protrusion you see in the picture). The volcano is currently pushing 30 cubic yards of magma to the surface every five seconds. That's like a very large dump truck load. If it continues at its current rate, it is estimated that the mountain will be rebuilt in 40 to 50 years. Although the Ranger told us that it took 55,000 years for Mt. St. Helens to form, it seems clear to me that their scientists didn't figure God into the equation. Even at its current rate the mountain could have been formed in significantly less time than 55,000.
I left the volcano with a renewed respect and awe for God's creative power. The mountain is covered with trees (thanks to Weyerhauser's monumental efforts) where 25 years ago there was devastation, . Spirit Lake isn't stocked but once again has fish thriving in it though everything was killed in the lake at the time of the blast. We saw plenty of wildlife, from ground squirrels to deer. God is in the business of rebuilding things, from people to mountains!
"For since the creation of the world Hs invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20
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