Retreat Hiking

Photos by Anne Wesley Hale

This week I got to enjoy the beauty of Red Rock Canyon for a day hike. I LOVE hiking and it still catches me by surprise how much I truly do. I enjoy putting on my comfortable Keen hiking boots and filling my CamelBak. I put my hair in a ponytail, ball cap on, and forgo my make-up. This love of hiking and being with God in Creation has been one of the biggest surprises for me since we moved to Nevada about 6 years ago. It makes feel feel alive and gives me great joy, renewal, and rejuvenation.  

It wasn't that outdoor life was foreign to me--quite the contrary. My formative years were spent in the rolling hills and lake country of Minnesota. I also spent time in the Army and logged many miles walking (road marching and patrolling) through various landscapes. I have lived and traveled in many different places with plenty to explore and behold.  

For some reason though, along the way my love of nature wasn't something I recognized. While growing up it was always around me, so perhaps I didn't value it. In the military it was forced-- and normally done at night or while sleep deprived, so maybe I let that confuse the parts I did enjoy. And while we have lived and visited many spectacular places of the world, I didn't know how to slow down to really savor it.  

And then there was time in the mommy fog. I love my children and love being a mom, but it was a bit of an adjustment. I looked to others to help me find my way, read books, and participated in various Women's Ministries and Retreats. There were parts of it all that I valued and loved, but there was little discussion about adventure or being in nature. Most women's events were hosted inside, packed full of planned activities, and had lots of talking and singing. I didn't always connect with the video based or workbook style of study. I craved to simply dive into the pages of my Bible and learn what it said. I started to realize that I didn't quite feel at home and I beat myself up about it. "It must be me," I said to myself. Other women seemed content. But I wasn't content and I could not ignore it.

So when we moved to Nevada, my family started exploring the beautiful aspects of God's Creation nearby. I discovered more and more how much I loved it. I enjoyed being away in quieter places where there was space and fewer people. When I say loved it, I mean that it made me come alive.  

This has all come as a bit of a surprise to me who had tended towards a more extroverted side of life in my previous years. I have come to realize that there are different ways that people connect with God. One size doesn't fit all and maybe there are even different seasons in our faith journey. And that is ok. Gary Thomas wrote a book called Sacred Pathways that explores different ways of meeting with God. I have come to realize that I reflect several different "pathways"and one of those is that of the Naturalist--drawing near to God through nature. I also feel most connected with God through Intellectual [drawing near by loving God with "all my mind"], Ascetics [drawing near to God through solitude, silence and simplicity], and Contemplative [drawing near to God through an awareness of God's presence in all things].  

It is something I am still experimenting with and striving to live out. So what I got to do while hiking this week was part of that extended journey of discovery. As I reflected on it, I realized what I experienced could be explained through the idea of "Retreat".  

There is a section on Retreat in the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun and it speaks to my heart. It isn't just being in nature that is appealing to me--it is also the ability to withdraw, find quiet, and push back from the demands of life for a time. It is a way to make space for renewing my relationship with God. Calhoun writes, "In the presence of the holy One we enter into silence and solitude and rest in God."(67) I highly recommend the book as a guide for your own spiritual journey. There is more to explore than I am writing about. And quite frankly, your story of journey may present unique discoveries when you walk the pathway.  

For me, I found that my time during retreat hiking brought alive the pages of the Bible.  

I remembered the example of Jesus who often withdrew to quiet places even though there were plenty of things he had to do and crowds of people demanding his time."Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.  So they went away by themselves...to a solitary place." Mark 6:31-32

At one of the toughest parts of Jesus life, he chose a garden as his place to pray and connect with God. "When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples...on the other side [of the valley] was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it." John 18:1  Luke tells us that it was usual for Jesus to go there.  Luke 22:39

During my hike, a light breeze was present at Red Rock and and there were fresh smells from the desert plants still greened from lots of rain. I saw bluebirds and butterflies. It was quiet enough to hear the sound of the bird wings flapping as they flew by. I stood in a green meadow amongst delicate wildflowers and grasses. I stood beside still streams and places where water made bubbling sounds when it flowed over the rocks. It reminded me:  "You let me rest in fields of green grass.  You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life." Psalm 23:2-3 (Contemporary English Version)

That morning the rains threatened our hike, but we all agreed to go anyway. It was a delight for me to discover that my friends weren't deterred by the idea of getting wet. The weather turned out to be beautiful on the West side of town at Red Rock Canyon. It may not have rained that day--but I did get wet when I slipped off a rock in the creek we were hiking. There was a "kaploosh" and then the sound of me sloshing through the water. One of my friends turned, looked at me, and smirked. I smiled back. I never returned to walking on the rocks but instead loved the feel of walking in the water.  

I have been blessed along the way to find a few women who also enjoy being outdoors, hiking, and connecting to God in Creation. I find that I am not as weird as I thought. I just needed to find the courage to express my heart and, in doing so, found others who felt the same way... and now we journey together. And I am so thankful that they are also my Christian sisters.  

Next Retreat Hike I want to go in search of waterfalls.  If you would like to come along, just let me know. Come and see for yourself... and we'll talk about it.