This nice weather that just rolled down into Florida has me thinking back to a month or so ago when I was in North Carolina. A change of scenery is a sure way to get the gears moving in my mind. Some of the windy days we have had lately brings me back to driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway when the wind was a constant 30-40 mph. I could feel the invisible gusts striking the side of my car as I drove. As I stood at a lookout spot taking photos, a gust came from behind me and I dug my heels into the ground. That wind could have shoved me off the cliff because there's no railing here, I thought, and there's nobody around to notice.
It made me feel pretty isolated in nature. The wind coming over the mountain peaks where trees sit without leaves and little patches of leftover snow cling to a few roadside spots. I look around me and there is nothing except mountains and a very enjoyable stretch of road to drive on. I hop back into my BMW and pull out onto the parkway and curve around the mountain faster than I should. The road is desolate. It's almost all mine. I stop at the lookouts and take a moment to marvel at the view and the quiet it was. How the mountains seem to extend forever in front of me and how the sky and clouds sit low enough to touch the mountains. Then, I remember that I am in the sky too. At 4,400 feet it's a dream world far away from the flatness of Florida. I smile at the beauty and creativity of God's creation, and my soul is reluctant to leave.
When I experience different things apart from my normal everyday schedule, I find that I am more open to taking time to enjoy, marvel, see, respect, and soak it in. So, how can I fit that into each day, even in a small way? That is a challenge, indeed.
The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest light to all the world. -Ann Voskamp
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