Anywho, the other day I got this wild notion as the school day was coming to an end that I wanted to go hiking. You see, hiking is cool and fun, therefore I feel like I'm not really getting a workout, and therefore I'm much more willing to get out there and do it. So I did some covert research online to see what areas were close to our house, and when we finished the last bit of school, we suited up in our tennies and headed out on an adventure to a National Park that was within driving distance.
I sometimes just have to marvel at what God has given us in nature to enjoy. We all got out of the van raring to go, which is something rarely seen in the whole family unless it involves something electronic (like watching a movie). Yet here we stood, at the bottom of a huge cliff face, with anticipation to just climb and search and explore. There is something so simple and beautiful in this.
It was magical, something came over all of us as we began to explore. As we began to climb, we noticed glittering spots everywhere, where slivers of glasslike quartz were scattered all over the ground. The children excitedly picked up a few and put them in their pockets, and even I bent to get a few. The higher we got up the cliff side, the more of a fresh breeze we felt, blowing our hair about and bringing such a sense of peace to us all. My husband commenced an impromptu science class, explaining each shape, crevice, and rock that we came to. The children were riveted, leaning in close to get better view of whatever we were learning about at that moment. Every moving thing drew our attention as we watched bees collecting pollen from the tiny desert flowers. We watched lizards dart in and around rocks, and birds dipping low over the water to catch insects. The kids even held hands to help one another down slippery inclines. It was an awe inspiring thing. And when we stood at the peak, I asked if we could all hold still, take in a deep breath and hold it- and for a small stretch of time, we all listened to the perfect silence of that one beautiful holy moment.