What a full day it has been! While nothing went too far off from what was initially expected and planned there were still several twists and turns I wasn’t quite expecting. As I wrote about a few days ago there’s something to be said about how long the state of vacation calm can withstand the onslaught of reality upon return. So far so good! All of the curveballs have been taken in stride and I continue to move forward.

Something that really struck me today was a quote that came from a podcast I’ve been listening to recently. One of the comments he made was that we need to escape to the wilderness sometimes in order to hear God more clearly. This especially hit home for me as I continue to stand in awe of just how much more clearly I was able to see the world when all the trappings of modern life were stripped away. My thoughts were so much more clear, everything seemed to make much more sense.

At various times throughout the day I caught myself pausing to enjoy the sound of silence. I paused and listened to my thoughts. In those moments I was able to see solutions to challenges and was able to react as I would like to react. The quiet gave the space I needed to truly process.

Some of the notes I wrote to myself today were:

• I am called into the woods to strip away all the unnecessary in order to hear my true voice more clearly.
• Stripping away complexity allows space to live simply, to be more clearly who we are called to be.

Is there a better mirror for the soul than time alone in a desert?

As I keep pulling this thought stream through my brain and soul I’m realizing more and more that there is something to stripping away the unnecessary. While I thoroughly enjoy the wilderness there isn’t really a need to escape to the wild to do have the same sensation. All I need is the willpower to walk away from everything in the world for a short moment to pause and reflect with empty hands, an empty head, and an open soul. I can create a desert for myself anywhere at anytime so long as I choose to and am willing to do so.

Today I’m thankful for the continuation of a thought process from my recent backpacking trip. Almost daily it seems as if another layer of the onion is peeled away and the next level is revealed. What an incredible gift!

Thanks!!!