Twenty four miles of down and back up

Across your Canyon, your work of art. 

— Your wrath poured out by Flood, 

Wrecking the world you created. 

When the tsunamis stopped and sediment settled, 

This scar, this Canyon carved, beauty through your grace. 

Cold mornings and hot coffee and breakfast, 

Fresh water from the creek.  

— Your provision for us. 

Nourishment for each step, manna and drink 

Through the grace of your care. 

A side trip to Ribbon Falls to find streams 

Coming out of the rock, flowing in greens and yellow. 

— Your love of beauty. 

Displayed in an unassuming little side canyon. 

You care about the details and you love to 

Share them with your children. Are there other details we don’t see? 

The Box: cold, quiet but not silent, place of narrow walls,

Trail where weed and cactus cling to life. 

— Your Son, laid upon him the fullness of your wrath. 

The cold, hard reality of our sin, our finite flesh, 

Our feeble stares up the canyon wall, 

Staggering at your power and the weight of punishment — 

And future glory. 

Devil’s corkscrew demanding every breath and 

Strength to conquer; but the steep valley – it did not keep us. 

— Your protection and strength. 

You do not grow weary, but we do; especially in 

This life where devil and dust choke us. 

But you carry us up and out and beyond, the 

Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. 

Communion at sunset at Plateau point, overlooking the blue river below. 

Stars beaming as we walk back to our camp. 

— Your Body and Blood, shed for us. Giving us vast heavens of 

Glory and river of Life, when all we deserved was your wrath. 

The stars herald this exchange of the Righteous for the unrighteous. 

The fellowship of fellow hikers as we ascend to 

The Rim, step by step, looking back at how far we’ve come. 

— Your saints brought into Eternity by Your Hand. 

Taken up into Glory, in sibling fellowship, 

When our journey is done, we will look back at the trials and 

Trails and Steeps and Colors and Rim and River 

And see that you never left us on this hard and beautiful journey, and 

Your Grace has brought us Home.