OBSTACLES

Throughout my life, I can admit that there have been all kinds of obstacles I have encountered going to church – up too late on a Saturday night, out of town, on a backpack, unhappy with something the preacher said the previous Sunday, just didn’t feel like it - the ‘obstacles’ have been endless. But really, until last Sunday, my church attendance had never been potentially stalled because of a 1,500 pound hazard that could trample or hurt me so bad I’d be visiting the church in a pine box.

 

Mammoth has a beautiful little church, constructed of dark wood and stone, which has gorgeous stain-glass windows that say things like  

Bright and Beautiful All Creatures Great and Small,

All Things Wise and Wonderful,

The Lord God Made Them All

But Who Can Paint Like Nature?

Ok, the last line doesn't rhyme but how appropriate in Yellowstone? And the church is part of my village now and I wanted to see it – why not on Sunday morning? I could meet some other folks and see if this preacher was worth visiting. Even a bit of a rebel like me can use some strategies for living a moral life once in awhile. And I’ve always learned better in an environment chock-a-block stuffed with beauty and abundant in Nature. 

I’m only a little surprised the Yellowstone Bison like hanging out so near the church that occasionally they actually block the entrance. Maybe they like the singing or the organ music. I usually do too. Maybe they like those windows. But Yellowstone bison can be really dangerous. Just a few nights ago, a car was totaled just by running into a bison standing on the road.  Bison bulls are REALLY big. And unfriendly. So maybe they were there to listen to the music, but it seemed the prudent thing to do to leave the sidewalk that led right to the church steps, detouring to the other side of the street around the bison.  Of course, this unusual obstacle made a great metaphor for my relationship with religion. Lots of obstacles in the way but somehow I always find a way and a time back. 

Mammoth is full of obstacles.  Female elk, called cows, like the lush green lawn right next to Mammoth’s Post Office. Thrice I’ve had to ‘detour’ around them, walking out in the street (again) to get to the nearly 85-year-old stone federal-building-looking edifice that serves as Mammoth’s Post Office. May is particularly not a good season to try to get friendly with female elk. They are either about ready to give birth and are grouchy or they are protective of their young and grouchy.  Female elk can weigh up to 800 pounds. They are not afraid to come at you if they feel threatened or they feel you are threatening their young. They are considered precious enough (and dangerous enough) for Park Rangers to be assigned to keep on eye on them, moving road signs directing “AREA CLOSED-DANGER-DO NOT APPROACH THE ELK” and other foot traffic barriers around, following the grazing path of the lady elks.

I think life could be better if we all had similar warnings for the obstacles we are bound to encounter in our lives.  But then, again, would knowing an obstacle was coming up change our course? Perhaps not. Could we learn a few things because of our detours? Most probably so.

 It seems to me that sometimes Obstacles (with a capital “O”) have been some of my best teachers. Having to detour around the bison reminded me that Mother Nature is in charge, especially and legally here.  Having to detour around the elk reminded me that although I had a time limit to get to and back from the Post Office, the ‘greater scheme of things’ just might not be in sync with my time schedule.  Maybe I should just kick back and be awed by these impressive creatures. Maybe, just maybe, watching the lady elk trim the grass next to the Post Office is exactly what I needed those first few days. Kind of like ‘smelling the roses’ on steroids.

Obstacles can keep us from harm as well as put us in harm. Challenge us or defeat us. I fear far too often I let obstacles be my enemy rather than a friend. Frankly, sometimes they are. Generally, though, it seems to me that we can all learn from our obstacles, whether made by self or society. Great achievement sometimes arises from great impediment. Helen Keller comes to mind.

I suspect my five months in Yellowstone will provide many obstacles to live with or overcome. Some of them will be natural – like the bear and bison and elk. Others will be manmade – like the challenge of making new friends, learning a new job, living in a small space, being away from people I care about and who care about me.

Wouldn’t it be nice if I had a few road signs along the way? And a few good-looking Rangers to perfectly place them? I truly suspect I’m going to have to be my own Ranger, deciding just how close I can get to an obstacle before deciding to avoid it or learn from it. Henry Kaiser said that “Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.”  Maybe obstacles are exactly the same. Maybe it’s about time to get to work.