Camping. Almost everyone can relate to this experience. Summer is here. It’s time to dig out the tent, stoves, tarps, sleeping bags etc. and pack it all up for the annual camping trip to some rustic location. Oh, and don’t forget the hotdogs and marshmallows that make every campfire experience complete.

What is it that makes camping so appealing to almost everyone? Maybe it's that the daily routines of life are forgotten for a time, or maybe it's the precious moments spent together as family. Whether beside one of our province’s many creeks or rivers, along the shores of a warm interior lake, or at the end of a forest service road in a tucked-away meadow high up in the mountains, the appeal of spending quality time in some part of God’s wonderful creation is something that everyone can appreciate.

This year we are celebrating BC’s 150th anniversary. The catch slogan used to promote this momentous event is “the best place on earth.” The Bible also speaks about the earth as being the best place. The writer of Psalm 104 praises God for all his wondrous works in creation. He says the earth is “satisfied by the fruit of God’s work.” As you make your way to your camping destination this summer, to catch that elusive rainbow trout, wakeboard over the waves of the clear blue lake, or ride your ATV through the thick forest, take time to think about how such beautiful places all came to being. God, who spoke and it was so, desires everyone to acknowledge him as creator of the beauty laid out before our eyes. Go camping this summer. Enjoy “the best place on earth” and think about who made it so.

                                                                             Written by Mike Schouten