Soul Refreshment

Matt 14:22-25  "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake."

The experience of hiking up the mountain. Finding a spot to be alone with a beautiful lookout over the lake. Quiet. Still. He had just finished feeding thousands. No more neediness.  No constant noise of those thousands. Solitude. Alone. Peaceful.
Yet, His heart and soul were still racing. Still rewinding the look of each face. The pain. The worry. The fear. The insecurity. The loneliness. Jesus knowing each person, each story, each need must have been overwhelmed as He was in this physical, temporal human body. He needed to process all of this with His Heavenly Father in order to refresh and satisfy his soul. 
 
The gift of hiking mountains. Mount Elbert (elev. 14,433 ft) in the Colorado Rockies was a mountain Jude and I had the privilege to hike many years ago, pre-children. I can still see the paths, the trees, the change from being hidden and engulfed in the forest until we got high enough to where trees no longer grew. I can still see the never ending sights of other mountains upon snow-capped mountains spilling into the horizon. It seemed like the scene had no end; like it went on into eternity. The massiveness of God's creation did something to our hearts and souls; it was a refreshing gift.
 
When was the last time you took a hike in a beautiful setting to appreciate our Maker's creation? Have you stepped outside lately to gaze at the bright stars or stopped to listen to the trickle of melting snow in a stream? 

What daily, weekly, monthly and annual soul refreshing experience do you have scheduled into your life?

Pastor Chris

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