Hiking down into (and, more importantly, back out of) the Grand Canyon is, for many of us, a monumental feat. It’s certainly not one I’d ever take lightly – again. For the five of us who made this trek in February – two experienced hikers…three not – it was a bonding experience; a test of character and will. It was a delight to the eyes, the ears, the soul. Majestic, transcending all other visual experiences in my life!
With some distance now between me and the physical pain of this adventure, I can truly say it was an opportunity that I would not pass up if given the chance to do it again.
Our bodies groaned the day after our six hour hike down into the Canyon. The constant jarring on knees and feet, pounding down an unrelentingly steep grade, had major consequences. Our heavy packs adding insult to injury. While in the canyon, we hiked day after day after day, just to keep those joints moving and soon they were repaired enough to tackle the hike up and out.
I loved the day hikes most of all. The weather was mild, with cloudless skies, once the sun had climbed high enough to show itself over the canyon walls. No heavy packs on the day hikes, just a bit of lunch, lots of water and much camaraderie. On one of these hikes, as we headed back to our campsite, I got way ahead of everyone else. I’m not sure how or why it happened, but I continued on, alone with my thoughts. I would stop every now and then to photograph some awesome sight. Over and over, this one thought kept coming to my mind – we are but a speck…and a moment in time. Surrounded by this massive expanse of rock, billions of years in formation, I could think of little else. And yet, there I was, this speck, wandering around a mile below where normal people stood, and I was filled with God’s love – for me…this tiny, inconsequential speck that God loves. That will put strength in your stride and add height to your stature. I smiled at the thought process that took me from feeling so small…to so important. Not filled with self-importance, but a sense of being important enough to be so loved.
Still, in a geographical and geological sense, there’s no denying… we are but a speck and a moment in time. I concluded, on this independent hike, therefore, that there’s no time to waste. I must get busy! But busy how? Doing what? Sometimes it’s all so confusing – and then it’s not. The answer came, bouncing off the rock walls that encompassed me – love. Just love. If I feel such love, I must give such love. That’s where you begin – a simple way to live one’s life – with love. I’ve always tried to live this way, but not always with success. When I gossip, I’m not loving; when I judge, I do not love…So, I’ll pick myself up, dust myself off and try harder.
After a time, the others caught up with me and the chattering and laughter filled the air once again – but I felt changed. Nature, God’s creation, has a powerfully spiritual effect on me.
