Every August, Our family heads out for a family vacation—usually to some place we’ve never been. We have a bit of wanderlust preferring the new and different to the routine of visiting the same places repeatedly. We also greatly enjoy seeing the great variety and beauty of God’s creation.

This year we drove to Branson, Missouri, by way of Memphis, Tennessee. It was a long drive, but it was worth it! Our first day there, we visited the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge where fascinating  animals like white tigers and ligers, lions and bears are rescued from neglect and abuse and provided a comfortable, safe place to live.

Did you know that ligers (a mix of tiger with lion) and white tigers are freaks of nature brought about primarily by man’s desire to create exotic creatures that people will pay money to see? Lions and tigers, for example, do not live in the same countries naturally and thus do not have opportunity to mate. White tigers are the result of mating two animals with recessive genes and occur very rarely in the wild. They are primarily created by inbreeding in captivity. Both practices cause debilitating health issues in the animals such as gigantism and premature death.

That night Son Jeff and Grandson Jonathon tried their hand at capturing something interesting and beautiful in our own back yard. Someone had left an old cage in the woods behind our condo. Thinking it would be fun to catch a wild critter, they put our leftover steak in the cage and set it. Much to their chagrin–and the laughter of the rest of the family–their catch the next morning was not what they were expecting. They had caught a hungry skunk! Oh, it was pretty—black and white striped—but its potential for stinking up a great vacation was tremendous!

A call to the property manager’s office led to the prompt appearance of the maintenance staff. (Turned out the cage belonged to them!) One brave soul took a towel, draped it over the cage, and opened the door. In time, the bloated skunk ambled out—to everyone’s relief! I guess he was happy, having feasted on rib eye steaks all night, for he left no stench behind! By the next day, however, the cage had also disappeared. (I suppose the manager saw the problems with leaving it there—an entire complex full of people complaining about the odor of skunk!)

The next day we headed to the Butterfly Palace—a delightful place where butterflies were being released to the amazement of a room full of tourists. The beautiful creatures landed on our backs, our heads, and on the tubes of nectar they gave us to draw the many varieties to us. They particularly liked red. Though their lifespan as butterflies is only a few weeks after they leave their chrysalis, they serve an important purpose in nature as they pollinate plants and are sources of great pleasure for us humans who enjoy their sheer grace and beauty.

The third day we headed out to the Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail—a magical park created by Jonny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops. Amid all the beauty, though, we were greeted by none other than a six-foot snake! We didn’t bother him, and he didn’t bother us!

Meandering through the park and its caves via golf cart, we were blessed to see fields of wildflowers, dramatic mountains, and majestic bluffs. Inside the caves, there were beautiful water falls like this one in what was called the cathedral room. We also saw fish that were blind from living in total darkness. What a shame, I thought, to be blind amid such beauty; yet without artificial light, none of us could have seen in the total darkness. It reminded me that Jesus is the light of the world, and he has called us to share that light. Without him, we all live in sin and total darkness.

As we rode along, I delighted in the rich blessings of the Lord–his creatures and his creation. My imagination took me back to the time of Adam and Even when skunks and snakes lived peacefully with butterflies, birds, fish, and other animals; and the first people wandered through the garden without fear.

I began to hum to myself the old hymn All Creatures of Our God and King:

“All creatures of our God and King
Life up your voice and with us sing

O praise Him, Alleluia”

Turns out the words to the hymn were written as a poem by St. Francis of Assisi way back in 1225, and it is one of the oldest hymns still sung today. Based on Psalm 148, it calls all creation to worship and praise the Almighty.

Two other passages from Psalms resonated:

“O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures.” (Psalm 104:24 NLT)

“How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them.” (Psalm 111:2 NLT)

As I sit now at home pondering our trip, I look forward to the time when all creation will again live at peace with each other. No longer will we be afraid of snakes or wild animals. Absolute peace will prevail as King Jesus takes his rightful place.

“In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.
The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,
and a little child will lead them all.
The cow will graze near the bear.
The cub and the calf will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow.
The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.” (Isaiah 11:6-8 NLT)

What a glorious day that will be! What a day of celebration when all of creation will be redeemed:

 ^“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Romans 8:18-22 NLT)

Won’t it be fun to pet a furry skunk, rub the mane of a huge lion, or touch a slick snake without fear? What an awesome time that will be!

How about you? Ever thought about the joys of the time when all creation will enjoy redemption and absolute peace? Are you looking forward to the celebration? If so, I’d welcome your comments.

Thanks for reading and responding. Many blessings!