What can break the silennce

It hasn’t been long ago that I was inspired to hike the woods, short hikes in the beginning, and now some much longer hikes. I have found in these moments that, besides the freedom, there is serenity and peacefulness. Just a few hours in the woods and I am refreshed, it rejuvenates my body, my mind and most of all my spirit.

No music, no talk shows, just the sound of nature. And when I am alone, the silence and solitude of hearing only what nature has to offer, is a tremendous gift from God. It is truly, “hiking alone with our Lord”.

However, on this one particular hike, I went into the welcome center at Batsto, to obtain a trail map, as this would be my first attempt at a four-mile hike on the Batona trail.  I was excited, I was prepared, and I was geared up for the wilderness, had a couple of snacks and my canteen was full of water.

As I left the welcome center with my map, I passed by their bulletin board and my eye quickly caught a picture of a bear on a poster. And it said, Yes, there are bears here.

I stopped, walked over and read it again. You know how you felt as a kid when someone just took your candy away from you. I knew bears were in New Jersey, but here. I read the sign again, “Yes, there are bears here”.

But, I slowly walked towards the trail, wishing there was someone with me that I could run faster than.  Said a prayer, regained my courage, as a matter of fact, once I got well into the hike on that trail I found myself at peace. Just me and the Lord, walking and talking.

That is until that poster, the picture of that bear disturbed my thoughts, “Yes, there are bear in here”. Lost the focus, lost the solitude.

It was a Peter moment with Jesus, walking on water until he realized he was really walking on water, and that’s not natural, and started to drown.

Every place I turned, I saw an imaginary bear, a large squirrel’s nest in the trees looked just like a bear, a burnt tree stump, a log, a deer running, and yes, it went on like that for the rest of the hike.

Although, I came across no bear that day, and I might add, I was truly relieved, it made me think of how many people hike these very trails without fear. I was determined to be one of them.

I have since learned more about bears and how to avoid them, and what to do if I encounter one. Still maybe a little edgy, but the fear is gone, and, I’m back feeling the peacefulness and those one on one conversations with our Lord.

Silence and solitude. It is those precious moments, when Jesus comes to us, when we truly welcome him into our hearts. Seek your moments in your daily life. Find a place, where ever that may be, just to be alone and reflect. For me, it’s on the trail, hiking alone with our Lord