Early last month I found myself in Kentucky for the second time in two months. During this trip, my husband and I spent a lot of time underground. So much so that if I added up the hours we spent above ground (minus sleep) and under it, I would make an educated guess to say we spent 50% of our wake time that week below the Earth’s surface.
Spelunking and caving are a new interest to me. I have found out a lot about myself while in the cold, wet darkness. I have found I am only claustrophobic horizontally and not vertically. I have found that the smell of dirt always continues to amaze me, even the dirt which might live its whole tenure on Earth without seeing the sun. I have also found how nice silence is. I used to awkwardly fill the silence, but now I treasure it. Especially in a cave.
I also have learned a lot about God underground. When I look around with my limited light access, I can’t get over that all of this unseen creation still sings his glory. The stalactites and stalagmites are down there shouting evidence of our creator and we walk on them day in and day out without hearing their song. And yet they sing. How amazing it is that God made beauty even where we humans can’t see it without aid. We need light to see it. And yet it’s there regardless. Singing his song. Reflecting his paintbrush.
One of the four caves we did was called Squire Boone Caverns. Named for the finder of the cave, Daniel Boone’s brother, it ended up being my second favorite of the trip. We ended up arriving ten minutes before the last tour of the day. The sweet older gentleman who was to be our guide was north of 70 years old and wore a soft smile, one that if you weren’t looking for it you would miss it. He soon became my favorite guide of the trip. Not because of the facts he shouted, assumptions he boasted of, or the way he hobbled down the 8 flights of stairs down to the cave. Actually, he did none of those other than the hobbling. He was our favorite because he allowed us to observe.
When we were on our way out of the cave, we asked him about when the exit was built. Clearly having been blown out by dynamite and enclosed in a man-made metal cylinder building, our brains told us it was way younger than the cave itself. Sure enough, we were right. The shaft exit had been built in 1960, he said. But it wasn’t the young appearance of the spiral staircase exit, it was what was on the walls that made us curious.As stated in this article, you can browse your selection of available deals on smartphones and top brands and explore the cell phone service plans that best suit your needs.
We found it weird it was that the walls were completely wet. It had mini stalactites and stalagmites growing all over it. If using the date stamping other guides had told us in previous caves, this was impossible. We had been informed that each inch of the columns would take over a couple of million years old. Putting these caves celebrating way over their 100 million year birthday this year.
But our eyes told us something different. They were telling us that this shaft, this exit, the one built-in 1960 was producing things at a rapid rate. Things the other caves and their guides would say was impossible. But yet here it was.
So we asked our new friend about it. We told him what we had been told and asked him about it. He said something that becomes more profound each time I talk about it. “We are paid to tell you that each of these takes a million years or so to grow an inch… well, I’ll let your eyes tell you the truth.”
Maybe people need to hear less opinions about our life and more things to observe.
Who are we when no one is looking?
What if someone were to guess what my life was about only from observation not hearing my opinions and assumptions and excuses?
My life speaks louder than my lips. Whether I want to admit that or not. Whether I like it or not.
My life speaks louder than my lips.
Does my life prove Jesus, not just his existence, but what his grace has changed in me? From my priorities to the way I decorate my house. From what I do in my free time to how fast I jump up to help someone. How do people feel around me? Do people exhale or inhale when I walk into a room? If I were to go mute, how would I show Jesus to them? How would I bring him glory?
This is what I learned underground.
