Living
Lessons: War and Peace from My Volcano Experience
By:
Christopher Wiles
 |
Photo I took of the sign at Volcano Poas. Keep calm if it erupts. Yeah .... riiiiiight. |
 |
Topher at Poas Volcano on April 21st, 2015
|
Two days prior to my
writing of this I was standing at the top of the crater at Volcano Poás in
Costa Rica. The pool at the top was
steaming. The crater was lifeless as it
boasts of one of the most acidic lakes in the world. The air stunk of a sulfuric acid
mixture. The last eruption was in 2011,
but you could still feel the heat standing 40 meters away. The place gives you a sense of tension,
devastation, and power. You felt as
though the temperature war within the earth was ready to escalate at any moment.
 |
Steam Rising from Poas. |
Then I walked 500
meters away through a dense rainforest trail to a beautiful pristine blue
lagoon. The birds were chirping, the
butterflies were dancing, and a squirrel was happy to eat a peanut butter
cracker snack with me. Lake Botos too
was a lake in the crater of an eruption.
Yet over the course of 1000's of years (this one may have erupted around
the time of Job in the Bible) that violent and destructive eruption has created
a magnificent sanctuary for life and peace on the Poás mountain.
 |
Lake Botos Lagoon 4/21/15 |
I was amazed at the
beautiful peace that followed a once violent destruction. Then I am reminded by God that peace often
comes from war, tranquility from trial, harmony from harrowing situations. Why else would God inspire these words from
James the brother of Jesus, "2 Consider
it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that
the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its
perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
- James 1:2-4
We all have
tumultuous, turbulent, and testing trials happening at different points in
life. You might be experiencing one
now. If you are, you can still keep your
chin up and have joy, knowing that God has declared through creation and
through scripture, that peace comes from war for those who serve Him. So do not lose hope in the middle of trial,
rather seek joy and "Cast
all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:7
Here are a few of the photos I took comparing life around the crater to life around the lagoon and nearby forest. You can find my whole set of Volcano photos by clicking
HERE.
 |
View of the entire crater from 2011 eruption with Nadia (Costa Rica). |
 |
View of Lake Botos Lagoon water with friends Alexi (Belgium) and Eva (Germany). |
 |
Local wildlife in the park away from the crater. |
 |
Local plant life in the park away from the crater with Hanna (Germany). |
 |
Local wildlife in the park away from the crater. |
 |
Local plant life in the park away from the crater. |
 |
Local wildlife in the park away from the crater. |
You can find my whole set of Volcano photos by clicking
HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your input. May you be blessed today!