Road Trip ~ Grand Canyon
Stick with me on this. A few definitions are in order before I begin.
erosion ~ (n) 1. the state of being eroded or the process of eroding 2. the group of natural processes including weathering, dissolution, abrasion, corrosion and transportation by which earthy or rock material is removed from any part of the earth's surface.
weathering ~ (n) any of the chemical or mechanical processes by which rocks exposed to the earth decay to soil.
dissolution ~ (n) 1. decomposition into fragments; disintegration. 2. termination or extinction by dispersion 3. extinction of life; death
abrasion ~ (n) the process of wearing down or rubbing away by friction 2. a scraped or worn area.
corrosion ~ (n) 1. the act or process of dissolving or wearing away, especially metals 2. a substance, such as rust, resulting from such a process.
And now for a quick geology lesson...
The Grand Canyon was created by mountains forming, fluctuating sea levels, and the relentless eroding forces of moving water and wind. It was a process that began 2 billion years ago with the colliding of Earth's surfaces to form North America. The resulting heat and pressure from the process created the dark metamorphic rock that is now lies at the "basement" of the canyon. Over time subsequent layers of diversified earth have been deposited by water or formed by geological processes. Around 70 million years ago the continual moving North American Plate overrode the Pacific Plate, formed the Rocky Mountains and as a result, uplifted what is now known as the Colorado Plateau from sea level to thousands of feet above sea level, setting the stage for the carving of the Grand Canyon.
The real story begins...
A mere 5 or 6 million years ago, the Colorado River began carving out the Colorado Plateau as it flowed from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California. The volume of water varied seasonally and over time. Ten times the amount of water flowed during the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago than it does today. Flowing water erode the softer upper canyon walls, exposing the harder layers underneath. Wind continued to erode the exposed surfaces, layers collapsed, buttes and pinnacles formed. Eighteen miles at its widest and about 200 miles long, it's an amazing testimony to the power of erosion, and it's a story that continues today.
The human application?
To quote the brochure, "Grand Canyon ~ a land to inspire our spirit ~ one of Earth's most powerful, inspiring landscapes ~ overwhelms our senses." It is a mind boggling story of geological processes played out over unimaginable time spans to create incredible beauty. Most of us don't normally think of words like erosion, weathering, dissolution, abrasion and corrosion as agents of beauty. We typically correlate them with destruction, impairment and even death.
As I stood out and looked at the sweeping vistas, I really had no words to describe the vision. Even photographs capture but a narrow view of the almost unimaginable beauty. The diversity of colors and shapes, the vastness, did not bring words like destruction to mind when I imagined the canyon being formed. Instead I saw erosion in a new light. I saw the beauty that was revealed when layers were pealed back; layers that could only have been revealed through the difficult process of erosion, weathering, dissolution, abrasion and corrosion. It could have been formed no other way.
And so is God doing a work in me. Over time, He has eroded the layers of pride, selfishness and other human foibles to reveal a more Christ-focused creation in me. When I look back at some of the pain, uncomfortable circumstances or difficult seasons of my life I realize now that I was merely being formed into an upgraded version of myself. Heaven knows, I have a ways to go before God's intended beauty is fully revealed in me, and I know it's a lifelong journey. But my prayer is that at the end of my days, He will step back and say, "Well done, good and beautiful daughter."
So once again, I embrace joy ~ despite circumstances ~ because there simply is no other way to reveal my personal Grand Canyon.
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