I did something nice for myself today. In between a trip to the hospital to be with a critically ill parishioner and a staff meeting, I went on a short hike. I was only gone a little over an hour. That one hour made an incredible difference.
I hiked a logging road that I had never been on before. To be honest, I was tired, it was hot and I really wanted to find a shady spot to take a nap. But I trudged up the hill, reached the summit and turned around to look behind me. The valley spread out before me, the birds were singing and I could hear the babbling of the brook. I took a deep breath and began to feel weeks of stress begin to flow out of me. I stood there breathing out ….. breathing in…. just taking it all in.
After a while I wandered down the hill and sat on the edge of the bridge, swung my feet in the air and tossed pebbles in the creek. Before long I found myself humming while I kept beat with the stick I had picked up. A little farther down the road I laid in the meadow and watched the trees dancing in the breeze.
That hour totally refreshed me. It was probably one of the most important things I have done for myself in weeks. It is a reminder that in the midst of all the stuff I have to do, there are the things I need to do.
“Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” Isaiah 40:26
It is good to feel relaxed and to be filled with a renewed sense of the beauty of creation. I need to do something nice for myself more often.
Just Connie
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