First Hike of the Year

Today, I took time to go out on a retreat of silence - a time of reflection on this past season, and vision casting for the new year. 

I was gifted with a particularly beautiful day at Rattlesnake Ledge. This is one of my favorite hikes. It's always beautiful, and it's always different. The hike itself is fairly challenging, but it's also short, so you work hard, but not for too long. The top is made for hanging out and staying awhile if you're down for it, and I definitely was today!

There were even chunks of time when I was completely alone up there, thanks to my early start on the day. 

I'll share just one or two insights gleaned from today, and keep the rest to myself. These retreats of silence are precious to me, and often very personal. 

I've read Genesis seven times in the last couple days. Today I was thinking about how the fall was about wanting to be like God. It's a beautiful thing when you think about where we are now in God's story, and how God in Christ redeems that hard-wired desire. Eve wanted to be like God in that she wanted to know what He knew, to be able to control what He controlled. It was about status and power. So what did God do with that desire? He emptied Himself and came down to get us. Jesus condescended to us, giving up the communion He had with God and the equality He had with His Father, so that we could be transformed to reflect His attributes. In Christ, we become kinder, more patient, more trustworthy, etc. For the Christian, to be made like Christ is the highest goal. The more we want that the closer we are to Him. 

On the way home, I teared up listening to Chase That, which is one of my favorite songs 

So holla if it hurts

But we were made for greater

Our greatest satisfaction is making His name famous 

So if we're never named among the greatest

They don't critically acclaim us

It ain't nothin to be ashamed of 

We gave it up for the Savior. 

Jesus Christ is able to satisfy our deepest longings. If we have Him, we have everything. There is absolutely nothing to gain by performing or by building up our material wealth or reputation, because there is nothing more valuable than being counted righteous before God. This is what we have in Jesus. 

The sun came out on my way down, and oh how beautiful it made the lake look! 

Pretty cool, huh?