Creation

I'm stopping right in the middle of studying a mountain-sized pile of information for a whopping 4 cumulative finals next week to write this. So do me a favor and ENJOY IT. If you don't, then go away. Take your snarky comments to one of Justin Bieber's music videos.

I went on a run. It was a nice run. Some people don't get running. They say it's painful, and makes you sweat to a rather nasty degree, and leaves you with more sore muscles than you thought you had on your lower body. But I went anyway. Because for some reason I can think so much more clearly when I run than when I don't.

I was feeling a wee bit spontaneous and bold (week before finals does that to you) so I thought a six or seven mile run would be a good thing to shoot for, despite my not-quite-in-shape self. By mile two I was wondering what on earth gave me that impression as my legs cried out for mercy and my lungs repeatedly stabbed me in the chest to remind me that I needed more air.

But then I somehow achieved the fabled "runner's high" and all of a sudden I felt like I could punch a bear.

So I ran. And I ran and ran. Unfortunately I didn't come across any bears, but I ran. And I ran to the shoreline trail rimming Cache Valley. Then I sat on a rock. A rather nice rock, as it gave me a perfect perch for gazing out over the valley.

I was planning on taking just a short two minute break to check out the view, but it turned into a ten minute break.



I don't know why it's so easy for us to forget how beautiful the world we live in is. I don't know how those images fade so quickly from our minds when we return to the giant rat race. I don't know how it happens, even though cute little Logan nestled in the mountains took my breath away yet again.

I saw sprawling fields where farmers made their livelihood encasing the city of Logan. I saw a forest of shaded, verdant trees planted in Logan, so as to make much of the city invisible. Occasionally a building would sprout up from the trees, or the forest would part to show a few of the houses covering the valley floor like ants on a patch of concrete.

The sky was blue, invaded by a few gray clouds. But blue is too rough a word though to describe that sky. A deep, electric, vibrating blue that seemed to have energy of its own. It was the kind of blue that you almost seem to float into if you stare at it long enough.

I saw the mountains, their legs blanketed by green carpet. I saw their dull gray stony heads poking out from their lush kilts. They seemed immovable guardians of the valley, encasing it with their colossal arms. They seemed impenetrable, unbreakable, ever watchful over their charges.

Then my thoughts swung to God. The Bible tells us that He formed the mountains. That they tremble in His presence. If this is true, then I hold God in less reverence and awe than I ought to on a regular basis.

Try to picture one of those behemoths actually trembling in God's presence. That's a side of God we don't think about too often, is it?



I concluded my run with my head up and my eyes drinking in as much as I could get them to. I don't know how people get so attached to their precious hamster wheels, but it happens to me all the time. So do yourself a favor. Go on a walk, if running isn't your thing. Push everything else out of your brain, and just try to appreciate the area you live in. Because there are incredible things all around us that we skim over without a second thought every day.




I never did find a bear.