As I continue to reflect on my most recent mountain sojourn, I think about a marmot whom I saw outside our camp one morning.  Incredibly cute (and quite fat, the result of its summer long quest to pack as much food into itself as it can before the winter snows come), this marmot is synonymous with high altitude mountain elevations.  Although I wanted to protect our food from this particular marmot, I also wanted to enjoy watching it scurry about, digging into the tundra to find yet another tidbit to add to its stash.

     And I did.  Ever alert, the marmot darted in and out of various bushes and rocks dotting the treeless landscape, looking--and finding--what it needed.  How wonderful, how amazing, I thought, that we have land set aside for this little creature to pursue its destiny.  Equally amazing is that we live in a world of such finely tuned balance, that, absent undue human intervention, the animals of the high mountains can live in harmony with each other and the land.  It's a beautiful picture of unanimity and grace.
     Even if the world does function according to the survival of the fittest, I'm nonetheless hard pressed to appreciate it without framing my appreciation in the fact of a God.  A God who, I might add, can only be grounded in love.
     After all, in a world bent on survival, how else could love be?
     By the way, I depart tomorrow to attend a conference, so will not be posting for a week or so.  Thanks for reading!