Walking Up to True Rest

disclaimer: I did not take this picture. Also, this is the view from Tiger Mountain, not of it.

For starters, I've always been one to think that being in nature is where it's at. A walk in the woods, a hike up to a scenic overlook, even a quick stop during a road trip to take in beautiful scenery have always been worth it to me. So you'd think that moving to Seattle, where hikes and mountain trails abound in and around the city's limits, would have worn out my hiking boots by now. 


Far from it. 


I guess this makes sense: life and the way we live it have much less to do with our environment, and much more to do with our habits and disciplines. I wasn't going to get up a mountain without first getting out of my apartment and/or office and/or Starbucks. But something inside of me expected to have spent much more time outdoors by now (having moved to the Pacific Northwest over a year and a half ago).

In any case, this past Monday I finally made the short drive out to Seattle's Tiger Mountain, a wilderness area filled with hiking trails of various elevations and difficulties. I'd been meaning to visit Tiger Mountain ever since I heard Cliff Mass, a professor at the University of Washington, describe it as the best place to hike up on foggy days, since it rewarded climbers who went high enough with the chance to see both the sun and Seattle's skyline rising above the fog.

Even though the clouds were too high to rise above, regardless of which mountain I went to, I'm glad I went yesterday because I was reminded of why I love walking outdoors so much: it's such a rewarding way to spend time alone with God. Don't get me wrong: I love spending time in scripture and in prayer (essentials for any who follow Jesus Christ) at coffee shops and in my office. But being outdoors offers the perfect way to get somewhat unplugged, to free my mind and soul to be truly attentive. Engaging my senses with the sights and sounds of the mountains instead of fellow cafe customers, Starbucks' XM Satellite Feed, or the Internet was kind of like biting into a palate cleanser for my soul. I felt freed to be fully attentive to the really important things in life: people, deep joys and pains, God.

I hear from plenty of church-goers that feel like they don't need to set aside time to read scripture, pray, or listen to God. Maybe they feel like they're always talking to God so they don't need to create a separate time for him. Or maybe they're not sure about the value of prayer in the first place. Let me be clear: a set aside time to read God's Word, to reflect both on it and the guiding of the Holy Spirit, and to bring our concerns and joys to Him in prayer is a necessity for any follower of Christ. Not only does he desire our company, calling us, like Mary in Luke 10, to first sit and listen at his feet, he knows that that is where we can hear the truth once again. It is when we spend time with Him that we are reminded that we are His beloved children, that He has made his choice and adopted us, and that we are not ultimately defined by our failures or successes.

Those of us who follow Christ need this time to reset, to be reminded of the truth of His good news. Maybe it's easiest for you to find it out hiking somewhere. Maybe it's easiest for you early in the morning. Maybe it's in a corner of a library somewhere. Wherever and whenever you do it, let me encourage you: set aside the time, give him your full attention. You will not regret it.

this is one of the shots I took with my camera phone on Monday...as you can see, not the sunniest of days, but still nice hiking weather