Gold!
How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to choose understanding rather than silver! Proverbs 16:16 (NIV)
The great
Gold Rush in Alaska in the late 1800s helped to make Fairbanks a center for
gold mining and a supply station for those testing their good fortune in the
rivers and mountainsides in the area. It was here that our pre-cruise tour of
Alaska began.
At ten in the evening, the sun still
provided light as our bus from the airport pulled into hotel parking lot. While
one imagines Alaska to be cold and snowy, it is actually quite comfortable in July
and August and can even get into the upper eighties on a sunny day in the
interior near Fairbanks.
Despite the time difference from
home, we fought to stay awake a bit longer to explore the grounds and catch up
with other members of our group who had arrived earlier. We buzzed with
excitement about our excursion to the Eldorado Gold Mine the next day and some
of us may have even wondered as we rested our heads that night if we would
strike it rich when we learned to pan for gold.
After breakfast the next morning,
we boarded buses for the trip through wooded hills full of rugged terrain and
pine trees. We watched for moose and other wild life native to Alaska and, as
if on cue, they appeared at intervals during our drive to the gold mining area.
Upon our arrival at the Eldorado
Gold Mine, we boarded an open-sided train for a trek through the territory that
is still mined today. At one point, we entered a permafrost tunnel and a guide
explained to us the various mineral and rock formations that tend to produce
the most gold.
Our next stop was the giant sluice
box where the folks of Eldorado Gold Mine still search for gold. As water is
poured over the sluice box filled with soil, gold, a heavy metal, falls to the
bottom and separates from gravel and other materials that are washed away. It
is the same principle as panning for gold but much more can be accomplished in
a shorter amount of time. Guides thoroughly briefed us on the procedure of
panning for our own gold and eagerly we set off to our luck.
The Eldorado operation is set up
for the leisure tourist. We sat on stools at large troughs of water, warmed to
keep the visitors happy, and swirled the materials from our “poke,” a little
pouch of dirt and stones taken from the same pile where the gold was mined
through the giant sluice. I could imagine a crusty old miner from times past as
he spied our lavish setup—a whoop and a holler and a shake of the head as he
led his donkey away for some serious panning.
It took a little patience, some
rhythm and coordination to begin to slosh the water around in the pan and not
lose everything. As the pan is shaken, the gold falls to the bottom. The larger
stones can be removed and what is left is sludge that needs to be rinsed and
rinsed and rinsed again as the pan is gently swirled partially submerged in the
water. Eventually what is left in the bottom of the pan is purple and black
sand and little flecks of gold—or if you are very fortunate, a gold nugget.
There were no gold nuggets in my
pan but what a thrill it was to find little shiny flakes of gold stuck to the
bottom. I carefully picked each miniscule flake out and dropped it into a small
vial that was provided us. When we were done, I had perhaps a couple of dollars
worth of gold flecks. It cost me another fifteen dollars to get them mounted
into a small globe on a gold chain to show off my great gold discovery.
How much richer would we be if we
used the same patience and diligence to wash away the sludge of everyday life
to find God’s precious metals of wisdom and understanding?
May we see the wealth of wisdom in
your grace, Father. May it enrich our lives and spill over into the lives of
those around us.