Life Style ROYAL PARK PLACE Chaplain’s Corner: America the Beautiful
I’m sure some of you have traveled to Colorado and have visited Pike’s Peak. I have been there twice and, like Katharine Bates, stood in awe of the beauty of God’s creation. On the first visit, we drove up, explored at the summit, and drove back down. We stopped on the descent because our brakes were overheating, as the decline was quite steep. The second time we visited, my son, Ben, and his wife, Kristen, were living in Colorado Springs. They thought it would be fun to ride bicycles down Pike’s Peak. We rode the Cog Railway to the summit and were immediately led to the bikes we would ride on the way down. The goal was to start right away because storms were brewing in the distance, and the elevation made the air a bit thin, which could lead to altitude sickness. We bundled up from a bin of assorted winter clothes because it was cold at the top of the mountain, even though it was mid-July and in the eighties at the base. Before I had time to think about it, we were biking down the very steep road. My family sailed right along, but all I could see was the sharp drop off next to the road, taking note of the fact that we were well above the tree line, and if I went over the edge, there was nothing to stop the roll! I pressed the brakes and inched my way down the mountain. The rest of the group would be at a rest stop, and by the time I arrived, they would be all rested up and ready to go again. I was relieved when we finally reached the tree line because I thought that at least if I fell off the edge, the
“America, America, God shed His grace on Thee! And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!” Recently, my husband, Dave, and I flew home from a trip to southern California. As we crossed the country, we flew over
some of the national parks like Zion, Bryce, and the Rocky Mountains. As we enter the month of July, we find ourselves thinking of Independence Day, celebrated on the 4th of July. One of the most popular songs sung on this patriotic holiday is “America the Beautiful.” The author of this song is Katharine Lee Bates. She drew inspiration for the anthem while visiting and teaching in the summer months of 1893 in the state of Colorado. It was while viewing the countryside from the summit of Pike’s Peak, which towers more than 14,000 feet above sea level, that she was inspired to write a national hymn that would describe the majesty and vastness of our great land. In Psalm 119:90, we read, “Your (God’s) faithfulness continues through all generations; You (God) established the earth, and it endures.” Pike’s Peak has stood for generations as an enduring beacon. As Katharine Bates wrote, we pray for God to shed His grace on us, as individuals and a nation, for many generations to come.
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