Micah 4: 2 “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, And to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths. New American Standard (NAS)
What is your favorite place in nature that you return to over and over? Sometimes it is close to home and therefore easy to reach, and sometimes it is a place we return to each year at least once. There is something about repetition and familiarity that is calming. In our fast paced and hectic lifestyle, we have become adrenaline junkies always being exposed to the next new thing, place, vacation and experience. When I go to Black Forest Park near Colorado Springs, I am always comforted by the familiarity of the paths, whether I go up the hill first or save it for the end. The open green yard near the picnic tables is a great space for flying kites or letting your dogs and kids run free. There is a small, wooden shelter in the middle of the Park that is always a touch point and destination. It looks like a bus stop with a bench in the middle of nowhere. One time with my dogs, I took shelter there during a thunderstorm. Resting on the bench with my dogs listening to the rain on the tin roof was a relaxing moment to remember. A repeated path is your neighborhood park where we encounter our neighbors and their dogs daily. You can watch the kids grow up, the dog’s age, and the people change over the years.
Where do you go to walk when you need to think, make decisions, be around people, or lose yourself in meditation walking a familiar path?