God Keeps Track Of All Our Sorrows

The Monday we spent in Alaska, we traveled to and visited the small city of Seward of just over 3000 residents. Seward is located in the Kenai Peninsula and is the ninth most profitable fisheries port in the US. This city was named after William Seward, the US Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, because it was William Seward who fought for and negotiated the US purchase of Alaska from Russia.

Seward is a two and a half hour drive from Anchorage through wilderness territory. The scenery was awe-inspiring. Here is a picture I took of my father-in-law at a rest-stop on the way there. Aren't the colours breath-taking?

In the back seat of the rental car, my mother-in-law and I kept our eyes open for wildlife in this vast wilderness we were travelling through, but we didn't see anything right away. Being overzealous, I prayed out loud to God to bring an Alaskan moose, and even a grizzly or Kodiak bear across our path to see. (I don't think my mother-in-law was too impressed about the bear part, but she does love seeing moose.)

To our disappointment, we didn't see any moose or bear that day, but I did see three otters by the ocean's shore at Seward. They were fun to watch!

We also ate at a seafood restaurant overlooking the bay of fishing boats. The seafood was delicious and  inexpensive too! (All the restaurants were in Alaska!) Then as we walked through the quaint one street town of Seward, my father-in-law and I noticed a store with a sign posted in the window: "50 Percent Off Everything." The temptation was too great for my father-in-law and me! We had a hard time leaving the store. We would buy our treasured items, but then see something else we wanted to buy. I think I went to the till half a dozen times. The most precious thing I bought was this Alaska nativity scene.

After I was finally able to break free from any more temptations, we stopped at a candy store and I bought home-made dark chocolates to share with everyone, as well as a bag of ginger and raspberry salt-water taffy.

It was interesting to find out that in 1927, it was a thirteen-year-old Seward resident and Native Alaskan, Benny Benson, who won the contest to design the Alaskan territory flag, which later became the state flag of Alaska. He also received a $1000 scholarship, which he used to become an airplane mechanic.

Before Benny received fame and recognition, he suffered many sorrows. When Benny was three years old, his mother died of pneumonia. Shortly after her death, the family's house burned down. His father then sent Benny and his brother to an orphanage in Seward to live. This was where Benny was living when he entered the contest and won.

Indeed, the God of this earth keeps track of all our sorrows, just like He did Benny's. Our Heavenly Father collects each tear in His bottle and records them in His book. And when it seems like there is no God in our sorrows, He reveals Himself in a miraculous way.

"You keep track of all my sorrows.

You have collected all my tears in your bottle.

You have recorded each one in your book."

Psalm 56:8 (NLT)