I showered and napped after my early a.m. hike.  Then I worshipped.  When I was on top of Soldier’s Mountain this morning, it was cold and overcast.  I asked the Lord to give me, instead, a picture perfect day.  (This is my last day of solitude; my one full day of seeking Him before I head home.) 

After I awoke from my nap, I realized it was the picture perfect day I had asked for.  The sun was gloriously out, and it was warm, and even hot in the direct sun.  Though there were clouds, they were the thick, fluffy, cumulus clouds that decorate the sky, instead of distract from it.  The Lord had granted my request!  Thank you, Father!

I donned shorts and flip-flops (probably to my brother’s chagrin) and headed down the trail of silence.  Meet me Lord, is my prayer today.  The Trail of Silence has a sign post, marking your entry to it that reads:  “Trail of Silence – Be still and know that I am God.  (Psalm 46:10)”.  I love that.

So I walked, in contemplation and reflection.  What resounded through my being was Isaiah 6:3:  “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.”  Yes, Lord, my heart echoed, the whole earth is full of Your glory.

I marveled at the sounds, the smell, the sight.  Wildflowers dotted the grassy stretches, in colors of yellow, white, purple, red and lavender.  No one planted them!  The wind moved through the pines, leaving a scent of crispness, and nature, and freshness – all at the same time.  And the aspens…oh the aspens!  Their stark white trunks stood in startling contrast to the browns and deep greens of the pines, and the very countryside about them.  Their shimmery leaves dangled like delicate jewels off teardrop earrings.  Every sense in me was awakened, heightened.  The only sounds I heard were of creation.  There were no vices of man on the path – no cigarette butts or empty beer or pop cans, no trash at all.  An occasional ground squirrel or rabbit would scamper near the trail, and the sound of the grasshoppers’ wings was frequent.  On my return a bird of prey was calling, but it was all so beautiful.  I was reminded of the images depicted in Hinds’ Feet on High Places.  I was at peace, and a quiet exhilaration.  Yes, Lord, the whole earth is full of Your glory.

I thought of His creation here on my walk.  Every flower, every tree, every insect and bird and creature – they all glorified Him simply by being His creation.  To commune with God is truly the highest mark of achievement, satisfaction, joy – yes LIFE, that one can experience. 

We are the created; He is the Creator.  That is the correct order.  Just being His daughter and loving Him, my Father and Maker – that glorifies Him.  All the noble deeds and abilities spent on honoring Him can never bring the highest work of glorifying Him, as simply loving and communing with the Lord.  This is my childhood lesson:  the lesson of nature.  When I walked down my country road, or explored the woods, or sat in the midst of a swaying brome or wheat field, or skipped rocks across a creek, or watched a thunderstorm light up the sky – these, these were my most cherished childhood memories. 

The complexities of this life dissipated in the quiet contemplation of nature.  We need not “do” to please our Father, we need only “be” as He has made us.

As I came out of the trail, storm clouds were moving across Pike’s Peak and the distant rumblings of thunder could be heard. 

So now I sit, in sweats and a sweatshirt, writing my reflections and savoring every moment in this environment.  I’m not so naïve to disregard the reality of this life.  Tomorrow we will drive back, and all the responsibilities, demands and distractions will be before me once more.  I’m grappling with questions before the Lord that have filled up a notebook page, and I just got started.  Satan has deceived the vast majority of Americans into believing that productivity defines worth.  It does not.  As usual, he has manipulated the truth into a deception.  The truth is because of our infinite worth to our Father we are productive, NOT we must be productive in order to achieve worth.