All In The Family

Last Monday four families including 3 couples, 16 grandchildren, a set of grandparents, and 9 ATVs left early and spent a short week in the Black Hills. We stayed north of Deadwood, South Dakota in a large Airbnb house.

Our days started with early morning coffee, a huge breakfast together, devotions, preparing and packing a lunch, and heading out for the day's adventure. Below three generations of family are making ham sandwiches for the trails.

During devotions one morning Becky best described our family vacations with a quote in C. S. Lewis's, The Chronicles of Narnia. In this children's story written 70 years ago Susan asks about Aslan the lion, "Is he safe?" To which Mr. Beaver replies,"Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he's good." Below we would often circle the Rangers and enjoy the view. On Tuesday we drove Rangers to Wyoming by trails.

We spent the week in relationships. A relationship with God through not only devotions but His creation, like The Devil's Tower we walked around. Obviously relationships as three generations of family working and playing together. And a number of new relationships with folks we met on the trails.

On Wednesday afternoon we walked a mile up a difficult, rushing, rock and tree filled creek. (The area had just had a huge rain the day before. South Dakota is greener than back home in southern Iowa this summer.) It took teamwork from all 24 of us. Many of us fell in. The water was 51 degrees.

We were headed for a series of small waterfalls entering into a whirlpool of water called The Devil's Bathtub. Either Anton or Ezra was the first to go down the waterfalls. They slipped and the strong current took them down into the deep whirlpool below. After their heads came up and they said, "My butt hurts, and it's so cold, but that was fun," it was get in line, as most everyone gave it a try. We met a neat family from Nebraska at the falls as they watched. There are a number of our family with black and blue bruises on their bottoms.

Most evenings were spent playing cards and hanging out after a large supper. There was often an Uno game, a Poker game, and a Rook game all going on at the same time. One evening we experienced a heavy rain and hailstorm where we had 5 vehicles damaged with hail. By coincidence our neighbors next door were from Oskaloosa.

On Thursday we tackled the Camp 5D trail near Sturgis, South Dakota. My friend Mike, our communities friendly undertaker, who has much experience out here, calls this trail "wicked", meaning difficult. It was a combination of rushing creeks, large rocks, and steep hills. This trail took several hours. Rachel and Carson rolled a 4-wheeler.

It also took teamwork. After bottoming out a few times the guys lifted up a machine while Ethan attempted to adjust the shocks firmer to get more clearance.

Along this trail was a cave. The kids went in and checked it out. Later we met some fellow travelers that mentioned the cave but said they didn't check it out because of the mountain lion tracks near it.

We stopped for our packed lunch at Vinegar Hill Cemetery near Galena, SD. We met some fellow Iowans here with a flat Ranger tire. Our older grandsons repaired their tire and blew it up for them. After many thank yous, some Dutch Bingo, and exchanging contact information with Nathan and Amber, we continued our journey.

While at the cemetery, which was full of history, including many children and soldiers, our grandson Harris, said, "Hey look. I found my gravestone". 😊

Towards the end of the day some of us checked out the town of Deadwood. Jan and I stopped and visited with the residents here.

For 48 years Jan knows that when we are seated in public I don't like to sit with my back to the door. This comes from wanting to be observant of my surroundings. It also comes from reading the western Wild Bill Hickok in 3rd grade. Wild Bill didn't like to sit with his back to the door either. However one night in a Poker game, in Deadwood, SD, against his wishes, he did. And he was shot in the back and killed. He is buried in town next to Calamity Jane.

So of course I had to find the site of the historical event. Jan found the address. We found the saloon. I had Amelia and Tyson, and Rachel and Carson sit at the probable table, and I took their picture with Wild Bill's guns hanging on the wall.

So what's our takeaway this morning on this holiday weekend celebrating our country's birthday? Was it safe back then to fight for our independence, to be pioneers, to tame the west, to build a country of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Of course it wasn't safe. But it was good. Live your life to the fullest, filled with adventures and relationships.

Has it ever been safe being a Christ-follower? Of course it wasn't safe. Just ask Jesus's 12 closest friends, His disciples. They were all killed. Ask the folks Jesus interacted with while on earth. Ask the church leaders back then who hated him. It was so much more comfortable just to follow the old rules and do church.

Is it safe being a Christian today? Of course it isn't safe. Our last 3 years with Covid intended for evil. Our culture's defiance of God. Our national leaders' corruptness. Our starting to have to defend what we believe in. No, being a Christian today is not safe. But don't live in fear. Don't live safe just to be comfortable. Because Christ is good. And His promises are as well.