Hike

With the first step I took, I contained great excitement. The sweat upon my brow was minimal, but I knew it would increase. Step after step, I increasingly felt more distant from the city and more familiar with the forest. My heart was content. I no longer desired a stillness, the still was inside me. How did I reach this point? The journey was hard and treacherous, but worth every minute of it. The sweat increased, the excitement increased and the presence of the Lord increased. What I learned from this experience was that the hike was no longer about getting to the next lookout or the next break in walking. The hike was about the journey. The forest was a place to quiet my heart and listen to the creator of heaven and earth. The forest helped provide space for my heart, mind and soul to breathe.
In our society there is very little time for thinking, breathing and connecting to the Mystery. The busyness that surrounds us is cluttering and suffocating. It all seemed to creep in on me, like I was trapped in a box. I just wanted to break the box open with all my strength and shut the sounds of the world out. Going on this hike to Sharp Top Mountain was what I needed. A place to escape, a journey to endure, and a prepared heart.

Pictured is a friend of mine and myself who went on this hike together. Not pictured were 13 other students who hiked with us. We brought guitars and worshiped at the top of the mountain.

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