Yellowstone Adventure - Day 18

  Today was another early shift day and the morning part of the shift was fairly slow until around ten forty five when it seemed like the whole park woke up and came into our store.  My split shift ended at eleven thirty and my three hour break for lunch begun. After lunch I stepped onto the store floor and it was just packed with people. I arrived at my station and was greeted by the cashier I was to replace with an exclamation of "At last a break!". I took over for her and for the next three hours solid I barely was able to raise my head from scanning barcodes, to making change, to bagging purchases. I looked up and before I knew it my replacement was there and it was five thirty. I gladly took my till and went to the counting room and exhaustedly fell into a chair with a sigh. It was a long day but gratefully I have the late shift tomorrow to work and then two days off. Yeah!
  After work I found out that campus ministry has services for park employees in the recreation hall at eight thirty. I decided to attend and was very glad I did. The worship songs and the messages was what I needed as God has been talking to me lately about an issue I have been having. There was also a couple I work with who walked over to tonight's service. They crossed the same parking lot I crossed a few minutes before and to their surprise a grizzly bear came running out of the woods and crossed the parking lot in front of them and was running at a pretty good clip. We all laughed at some of the obstacles you have in getting to church in Yellowstone. After the services were over I decided to stop in the old faithful lodge to compose this blog page. The sun was just setting behind old faithful and I took a picture but it will not do it justice at all. The oranges and reds that were backing the steam vents of old faithful and it's fellow geysers was something to see. God's creation is amazing.
  On a personal note my heart has had two extremes pressing against it. Yesterday my heart was glad to hear that my son Logan and my daughter in-law Shiann found out that the tradition of my line of sons will be ending as they announced they will be having a girl. I am really happy about this as I can see how Cathy is going to now get to buy stuff and make stuff for a girl. 
  Today though I received some very sad news concerning a very good friend of mine. Hospice has been called in to care for my friend. He has battled his disease for a number of years and God has answered prayer so many times before but it seems God may be calling my friend home. I worked with him at Crane for a few years but not in the same group. I got to know him well over the years when he and I took walks at lunchtime. I looked forward to those walks as I really enjoyed his counsel and advice. We talked many a time about God and religions and Jesus. About the Bible and all those areas in God's word that you had to wrestle with to gain wisdom. But we also talked about the west and the mountains. After he retired I sorely missed our walks and talks but I tried to maintain contact with him and his lovely wife. They both are great people and God fearing. His wife said that her husband knows where his hope lies and it is win win. If God chooses to beat the disease then he wins but if his battle is over then he wins as he knows where he will be. My heart is breaking for my friend and I surely do wish I could instantly be at his side to talk of God and the mountains once again. He always asked me after I delivered a message "Well did you preach about sin Bret?" And I would reply "Yes" and he would always say "Well are you for it or against it?".  My friend would tell me that at the end of every life a train was coming that could take you to heaven and he would always ask if you got your ticket punched for that train. Well to my friend I say I do and I know my friend does. So no  matter what  happens on this earth, I will be seeing my friend again. Praying for you my friend and for your lovely wife. Love you both.
  This has been tough to write but I hope and pray to all that are reading this that you have your ticket punched. For there is no way to heaven except through Jesus Christ.   Stay well all and pray for my friend. God knows who he is.