Live Deliberately

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and to see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” Henry David Thoreau

I have been completely overwhelmed as of late.

Work deadlines
Bills to pay
Trying hard to be a good daughter, sister, and friend

Sometimes trying to stay Connected to all that is going on becomes too much and I get bogged down with STUFF.

Where do I need to be today?
Did I pay that bill?
I need to buy groceries.
I need to return that phone call.

All this everyday, ordinary stuff builds and piles up until  I feel I am ready to explode. If my phone rings one more time, or my boss calls another meeting that could have been an email…you might just see me on the TV show SNAPPED.

Just when I think I can’t take anymore…. Saturday comes along. Ahh… Sweet, perfect, quiet Saturday.

This is the day I disconnect with all the distractions of my life, and I connect with the calm and peace of nature. Out there in the woods there are no deadlines, restrictions, phones, cars, meetings, agenda’s, or emails. It is just me, the fragrant smell of freedom, and the tall trees.

Within mere moments of stepping foot onto the trail, I can feel my tense body starting to relax. I know that for the next 6-8 hours, I have total freedom from the chaos that reigns 6 days out of the week.  I am forced to listen to the calm and the peace that ensues. If I find a tree stump or rock along the way, I am free to sit upon it as long as I wish, soaking in the beauty and the serenity I am now a willing prisoner of.

  During this time I am listening….not just to the wind, the birds, and other residents of the woods, but I am listening to the Creator of all this majesty.  Here I can listen without distraction and interruption.

He speaks through the gentle breeze that blows and lets me know He is thinking of me.

He speaks through the rays of sun that cover me in their warmth and light the path.

He speaks through the sound of the stream that reassures me He ALWAYS provides.

He speaks through the critters and wildlife I meet… letting me know I am never alone.

He speaks through the deep pounding of my heart that beats hard and fast when going up a steep climb… reminding me that though I feel dead sometimes I am very much alive.

He speaks through the sometimes gentle and sometimes pouring rain…. reminding me that He is ALWAYS in control.

When I leave I am refreshed, even though my body is exhausted. My mind and spirit are renewed. I have heard and learned much. Humbled and encouraged, I leave better connected to myself, but most importantly to my God.

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein