“The Lord hates people who tell lies, but delights in those
who tell the truth." ~ Proverbs 12:22
Twenty years ago, he wanted to
smile again. He needed joy in his life. So he stepped off the ledge and left behind
his dull, stressful job. Now Mike lives
in one of the most beautiful places on earth; protecting plants, animals, and
people in Yellowstone Park.
At first his Park Ranger job was rewarding, exhilarating and
just plain fun. But after this season,
he couldn’t wait for Labor Day weekend and the retreat of humanity.
Camping used to mean pitching a tent and hiking. Or maybe even doing some trail riding. But lately, people brought their ‘homes’ and
big screen TV's into the forest? Campgrounds
now felt more like drive-ins than the peaceful oasis they used to represent. The jerk’s
Cadillac Escalade had a premium sound system with a 10-disc CD changer - but
that didn’t mean everybody enjoyed his music or its volume!
Being a Park Ranger used to mean a lot of PR, giving
directions, occasional search and rescue, first aid, and a periodic encounter
with some idiot who drank too much. Today,
instead of smiling at people or letting them pet his horse or handing out Junior
Ranger badges, he’s constantly on guard for ‘tweekers’ and gun toting
survivalists who hate And when did it become popular to use the great outdoors
to kill one’s self? Suicides used to
happen in the home. People now choose
places that make body recovery an all-day, dangerous ordeal.
Last week, one ‘nut’ got mad at him because he wouldn’t call
the vet for a dying deer who’d been hit by another motorist. This was the wilderness not Wal-Mart. Veterinarians don’t make house calls for road
kill.
As he slumped over his old gun-metal grey desk and opened
what was probably another written complaint from a hateful weekend warrior, his
eyes refocused to the handwriting of a child.
It showed the sadness of a young boy named Ethan, who wrote the letter
with two sticks attached because he knew he was "not supposed to take
things from the park." Ethan
apologized by closing with “Please put them back in nature where they belong.”
His heart burning with compassion, Ranger Mike penned the
following response and mailed it immediately:
"Dear Ethan, thank you for returning these one-of-a
kind-twigs. We hung your letter in our
office so we could show others how impressed we were with you - our newest
Junior Ranger. I enclosed pictures of
some spots in the park so you could tell me where to place the twigs. Please come back soon, Your friend, Ranger
Mike”
All seemed right with the world again . . . and his heart .
. . and his park.
“Dear God, please forgive me for I’ve not
been truthful. I’m sorry ‘cause I know
You hate when kids lie. Please help me
to tell the truth so You can delight in what I say and do, Amen.” Your friend, Ethan
