The area in Calgary where I was staying is called Tuscany. Mike and Rayna have a nice little two bedroom home there and it seems like all the houses have been built within the past five years. It's easy to get lost there. To make it even more maddening, all of the streets in Tuscany have the word "Tuscany" in them. Tuscany Springs Boulevard leads to Tuscany Heights SW, which leads to Tuscany Avenue E, etc. One night I felt like going for a walk so I asked Mike if I could borrow his GPS and grabbing my iPod I stepped out, looking for a recommended path that went through a ravine. In minutes I was disoriented but knowing that I had the GPS I just walked wherever I felt like it.
I selected the "enlightened" mix on my iPod (fast paced "spiritual" music) and began power walking. Somehow, although unplanned, my walk became a holy experience. Here I was out walking in the dark, having no idea where I was (and loving it), breathing the cold night air, and listening to powerful and inspiring music. I felt my spirit quicken and focus on God. At one point after running for a few blocks, I just knelt down on the path and prayed in the darkness. I'm not sure why, but not being able to see much, hear much (except my music), or know where I was going helped me to focus on God in a whole new way. I daresay it was the best part of my trip.
May Light increase!
The howler monkeys of Belize
1 hour ago
3 comments:
That's so awesome Mark. Have you ever hiked in Sandilands? I used to live 15 mins from there. I went by myself for a hike (OK with my dog). I remember bending right on (I think it's called the green circle) this trail and meandering off the path until I came to this a look out point. I walked to the edge of the cliff and looked out to sea of nothing but evergreen tree tops. Absolutely majestic. It was so quiet and God's presence (I almost always feel this way in nature) was so profound. I remember having an experience kind of like what you described. Fantastic.
Cool beans! I loves me a good ol' spontaneous God time.
This story reminds me of that time we went to the Whiteshell in the fall and went for a walk in the bush and got lost when the trails stopped being marked. As I recall your handy dandy GPS (I think you'd just gotten it recently, though I could be wrong on that count) was safe and sound back at the cottage. :) Good to see you've learned from our mistakes!
Jay
LOL - our area is all NW! Tuscany Springs Blvd leads to Tuscany Springs Hts, off of which is Tuscany Springs Rd and Tuscany SPrings Way. I hated it when I first moved here, but you get used to it. It's easy when you know the name of the street to know approximately where the house is in the area too.
I am glad you enjoyed that walk that day - it seemed like you had had quite the enjoyable experience when you returned. I need to start doing that myself - getting out and enjoying the crisp winter air and God's creation.
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