They call them Hoodoos.  What is a Hoodoo?  They are the colorful rock columns which decorate and populate the Bryce Canyon National Park.  They are spectacular and as full of character as they are color.  Each one towers into the heavens, stretching into the air declaring their power and strength.  However, I was more amazed at their ability to continue to stand because the closer I looked, the more fragile they appeared.  Some of them seemed to be no more than tall and skinny sand castles created by some omnipotent giant playing on the beach.  Others were more substantial and looked as if they had been standing for thousands of years.

        Yet, here they are still standing; tall and proud they stand here and silently proclaim the wonders of our great world.  I am told that they were created by the tremendous powers of erosion and weathering.  The actual process is one called frost-wedging.  What is that?  For 200 days a year the temperatures goes above and below freezing every day.  During the day, melt water seeps into fractures only to freeze at night, expanding by 9%.  Now as ice, it exerts a tremendous force and over time this frost-wedging shatters and pries rock apart.  It is as though our heavenly sculpture created these grand statues using only a few drops of water to chisel out his masterpiece.

        It was not difficult to stand here in awe as I looked out over this vast sculpture garden.  I seemed so small and insignificant as I gazed out over these motionless giants who have stood their ground over the centuries in spite of all Mother Natures efforts to bring them down.  As I stood here listening to the rush of the scorched winds racing up from the canyon floor I began to whisper a hushed prayer for the courage and strength to stand.  My prayer was for determination in the face of opposition; endurance and perseverance when faced with hardship; stability and vision to keep me focused on my goals.

        Too often we pray for an easier life instead of praying to be a stronger person.  To be sure difficulties and adversity will face each of us as we travel the path laid out before us.  We ought to enjoy what we can and endure what you must.  But no matter what life throws at us, let us keep on standing and never give up.  We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough.  Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.  Remember, standing is a choice and you can do it.

Something to think about:

• If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.

• The only difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.

• When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

• He who cannot endure tough times will not see good times.

• Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that held its ground.

• It takes courage to stand up and be counted, but it takes more courage to keep standing.

• Victory belongs to the most persevering.

• Every good and excellent thing stands moment by moment on the razor’s edge of danger and must be fought for.

• Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

• Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.

Keep on Standing
Rickey Moore