She Has a Curious Nature!
The old adage "curiosity killed the cat" carries the notion that trouble can arise when one goes poking their nose in places it may not belong. Cats by their very nature are somewhat curious but have incredible reflexes and always land on their feet. I'm no cat but I have found that being curious has many advantages. My wife makes me look like an amateur though.
Thursday was an off day for Tracie and so we decided to do a quick afternoon hike over in Huntingdon County (Barree actually). The Mid State Trail winds through Greene Hills United Methodist Camp Ground and then soars up the side of a mountain.
The climb was challenging in some places and quite pleasurable in others. Overall, the fall leaves were downright breathtaking the whole journey. Our two big rewards on any hike is finding a beautiful vista to view the landscape and of course whether we see a snake. The trail provided neither of these and we mentioned that fact several times.
At what we believed was the summit, we stopped for a break and had some food, took some water, and rested. From there it was winding path around the side of the mountain and we could look into the Spruce Creek Valley that contains Route 453 from Tyrone to Waterstreet. Knowing that we had to return home since Tracie was being called into work in the late afternoon, we ventured a little further. Around the side of the mountain the trail took an abrupt turn to the right and became quite steep in it's ascent. I hesitated thinking this would be a good place to turn around.
Did I mention my wife has a curiosity streak as long as a three weeks pay? Thought so.
I was about to say, "We might as well turn around." but Tracie was already beginning to climb the steep path. After 35+ years I have learned to best shut the trap and tag along for the ride.
Picture a steep trail, covered with leaves, acorns in some spots under the leaves, and very few protruding rocks to give any firm footholds. I might have been silently grousing about this as we walked further and further from our vehicle. Lo and behold after about 200 yards of treacherous navigating and about 150 foot increase in elevation we reached a plateau and wouldn't you know it, "A Vista!"
From our newly found vantage point we could see the wind turbines on Tyrone Mountain and the landscape didn't disappoint a bit. (**Insert big cheesy smile here**)
Tracie and I talked about her curiosity streak and how I felt about it. I mentioned that I have grown used to the explorative nature that Tracie has and I celebrate it. In this case, I may not have initially celebrated it but I definitely enjoyed the view at the top.
When we returned home, Tracie shared her walking app on her phone with me and it is shown above in this post. The spike in the middle of the picture (with yellow circle) is the final scale of Mt Everest! Just kidding, but it felt like it. Then I noticed the correlation between the great struggle, the sharp spike on the walking app, and our realized beauty at the top.
Some days in order to receive the reward one has to endure the hardships and have a curiosity that extends beyond the mundane. I don't know if Elijah complained about climbing the mountain as God instructed. I know he complained about his life and struggles. He felt alone and in great peril. In that moment, God wanted to let Elijah know that he was in fact not alone and that God would be present with him. Go out and stand on the mountain.
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the
Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and
shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a
fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
(1 Kings 19:11-12, NIV)
Perhaps today is one destined for your curiosity to take you someplace you've never been, to see something you've never seen, and to bless you in a way you've never been blessed.
"A Musing Pastor"
PS: We had to descend the same 200 yards of leaf covered, acorn scattered, scarce footholds path, with 150 foot drop in elevation. We LIVED!