Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
I went on a hike this past Monday up at Eaton Canyon Trail. It was very nice because it’s the first time in many years where I was able to go on a hike by myself. If you’re ever looking for a nice relatively easy hike, Eaton Canyon is a nice one because it’s mostly shaded and it’s alongside a stream. So I parked my car at the top of the hill, walked down the mountain to the stream at the foothills where the trail started. The first part of the trail was gorgeous... I was surrounded by trees, the serenading sound of the stream, and the crispness of the morning air. It was hiking alongside a stream which was my favorite part of the hike. But after about half a mile, the stream just disappeared. I don’t know where it went; I couldn’t even hear it anymore. I kept walking on, hoping that it would magically reappear but it was nowhere to be found. I was disappointed because the stream was the best part of the hike. But the place I was standing was utterly quiet. So I waited.
There was a stillness and a calm that was present in that part of the hike that didn’t exist at the beginning or the end of the hike. So I adjusted my attitude a little bit, found a comfortable place to sit and enjoyed the quiet, the soft breeze, and the solitude. After a few minutes, I pressed on towards the hike and the stream reappeared. Eventually, I got to the end of the hike where there was a little waterfall and that’s where there were a lot more people were hanging out. It was loud, crowded, and cold. And I remember that little break in the hike when I was waiting... where I didn’t hear the noise of the creek, there was nobody around, and I felt the soft breeze on my cheek. It was really nice.
