Time With The Eagles
When dealing with a problem or situation, a little perspective is always nice to have. Most of the time, this is a psychological thing where we have to do lots of self-talk. We have to look at what came before, what is, and what lies ahead. We weigh and consider things in an attempt to put it all “into perspective.”
I normally don’t do this, but in this instance, I had to physically put things into perspective. I set out on a short drive to clear my head and collect my thoughts and feelings… and ended up at the highest point in Arkansas - Mount Magazine. I had never been there before and didn’t even have a clue on how to get there. I just headed south, then east, then took a road that looked intriguing at some point. I had no idea where I was going or how long I had been gone… I just drove.
As I headed up a steeply graded road, my ears began to pop. I kept driving. I rounded the curve and thought I saw an eagle flying. An eagle?! Could that have been true? I kept driving. As I topped the mountain, a breathtaking view awaited. I pulled over and turned off the ignition. With only the sound of the wind, I had just found a place of solitude - a moment of peace. I got out of the car and walked to the edge of the edge and looked out over the valley in the picture (It’s called Petit Jean Valley). I was able to think. I talked to God a little but mostly, I just stood there and listened.
I didn’t want to come down off that mountain because my problems and complaints were made small in comparison to my physical location, but the mountain top experiences are few and far between. We spend most of our time in the valley but that’s where it’s most fertile. We spend a lot of our time going up or coming down a mountain. Depending on the path we take on the ascent or descent, the journey can take a real toll on our bodies, minds and spirits. I veered from the path on the way down and it was dirty, dusty, rocky, bumpy and a little bit scary. I was beginning to wonder if I would reach the bottom. But I did, and was actually relieved and a little bit glad to be back in the valley.
I’m going back there as often as I can because I like spending time with my eagle friends - and the view isn’t bad either.
2 Comments
mzemina on February 4th, 2009
Since you are canceling cable - for the boys, check out http://www.jellytelly.com/ I’m not sure of the age range, but was created by the guy that created Veggie Tales (Phil Vischer)
savvysdaddy on January 23rd, 2009
surround yourself with Eagles