Blessings

I have been here in these mountains for six days now and each day holds a new wonder.

The first day, it was the people.
The second day, it was the sound of the rain falling through the leaves.
Third, the vibrant green matched with the bright blue sky.
Fourth, the family of goats basking in the sun.
Fifth, there was the conversation.
And sixth, there was the view from what felt like the top of the world and then a light night hike beneath the most beautiful stars I had ever seen.

I have lived in Washington all of my life and I have traveled through many different mountain ranges, yet these mountains hold something that no other mountains have. I'm not sure if it's the exotic feeling or the cows and sheep that graze on the hills, but there is something majestic hiding in these trees. My soul is at rest here. The world can be so silent here that all you can hear are your footsteps and the wind in the leaves.

Of course, if I paint too beautiful of a picture, it can't possibly be true. Yes, we are all suffering from bad blisters and very sore muscles, but there are so many moments when I just don't care. Last night, we were sleeping in tents and woken up late at night. We were told to go on the same hike we went on the first day, but this time at night, without our leader and without speaking. Normally, such news would have angered me, but when I poked my head outside the tent and looked up at the stars, I could have run for miles. The most phenomenal stars I have ever seen were twinkling above my head...why would I ever complain?

Something struck me last night as we trudged up the road. We were stopped four times by our leaders and they each had a bible verse to share with us. In the silence and in the darkness, all I could hear were my own thoughts inside my head. Mostly prayers and hymns were running through my head. I'm not sure why, I never listen to hymns except at church, yet here, in the silence, the words of "Amazing Grace" and "Be Thou My Vision" were the only things running through my head. No anxious thoughts or bitter thoughts or questions earnestly seeking answers. Just words of thankfulness and awe.

How blessed I am to be living in the place I am and at the time I am. I sometimes hate reading the paper or listening to the news because it just highlights all the things that are wrong in the world. Yes, these things do happen and they are horrific, but why can we never look at the good? Why can we never pause for just one minute to see the beauty? The beauty in relationships, in birds and in rain. Pause right now. What do you have in your life that is beautiful? Wash away the bitterness and fear for a moment and think of what is good.

I am learning quickly that it is far more important to stress about what is right in front of you as opposed to what you're unsure of in the future. I am here in the Alps for five weeks and I have no idea what I'm doing after dinner. I also have no idea what I'm doing with my life, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that right now, in this moment, I have no need to fear. Life is good...so why stress about the things which we have no control over? We must learn to give up the things that hold us back from simply living. Our lives are gifts and we should not bring fear and anxiety into them.

I see Christ all around me. In the smiles, the sheep and the river, He is there. Where do you see Him today?