I have always seemed to be able to hear God more clearly when I am outside in His creation. I don't know if it's because I can see His beauty and glory reflected in nature, or if it's just because He has hardwired in me a love for being outside....regardless, He speaks to me quite often through nature.
On Memorial day my brother, sister, & I went for a hike. It was so great to be outside enjoying God's creation on such a beautiful day with 2 of my favorite people in the world. We hiked on trails through the woods in the mountains and it was so serene. Yet, there is something about the quiet of the forest that is very LOUD. Though it is quiet from what we consider to be "noisy", it is alive with sounds of crickets chirping, frogs croaking, leaves rustling in the wind, sticks crunching under our feet, water making its way down the stream, and other typical sounds of the forest. It is loud. And it is beautiful.
We made our way up to some rocks that people climb on all the time. They jut out over the valley below and make for beautiful pictures. They can be dangerous, but are also safe if you are careful. I had been on several different trails & rocks up there before, but never at this particular spot. It was breathtaking up there on a day with a blue sky & just enough clouds in the sky to make shadowy spots on the trees far below us. My sister and brother had both been to these rocks before and went to the one that reached out the farthest over the tops of the trees way below. After taking several pictures for them it was my turn to walk out there and have my turn. :) Now, I'm not one to really be too afraid of heights, but as I looked at the trees below and realized that if I fell there was nothing there to stop me, I got a little nervous for a second there. My brother said, "Be careful looking down while you are walking because the trees will sway in the wind and might make you dizzy." To which my sister responded, "Just look at the rock where you are stepping & not at the trees and you will be fine." So I did. I looked down at the rock and focused on where I was stepping, rather than on the fear of falling and I was fine. I then looked up and was able to see all of the beauty around me from that point of view - from that rock. God showed me through that experience that if I always focus on Him - The Rock - I will have a firm place to put my feet and can walk with confidence that He is holding me up. He is a firm foundation, does not shift and change with the wind, and is steady. If I would have focused on all of the things around that rock I may have gotten dizzy & lost my balance. I might have been like Peter- who sank in the water when he took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at how big the waves were around him. Yet, God showed me that no matter what is going on in my life, or in the craziness of the world today, if I always remember to keep my focus on Him I will have that firm foundation and be able to step boldly.
