Hiking is good for my soul

I hiked yesterday at Jackrabbit Mountain in Hayesville, NC. It isn't too far from Hinton Center, so I thought I'd give it a try. I had read up on it and knew it had bike trails and hiking trails. I wasn't sure what I would hike or how long I might be able to hike. My left hip (replaced one) has been hurting some this week-- probably from the hike earlier this week. It is a reminder that muscles need more stretching than I have been doing lately.

Some cyclists suggested the center loop. After checking out the map, I decided to start on it. The paths and the surrounding forest are pretty. There are signs on trees and ferns and other plants so you can know what they are. Some of them are seasonal, such as the May Apple and the Pink Lady Slipper and the Trillium, so this would be a good spring trail to see those. But seeing all the different ferns and trees was cool.

I took the center loop (white trail) until the Burnt Tree Peninsula Trail (green) and took it around. That trail allowed me to see the Chatuge Dam plus I found a rock from the Hayesville Rock group on that trail. 

It wasn't too crowded on the trails. I was most surprised by a father/son hunting with a recurve bow. As I was leaving, I noticed two other hunters going in with crossbows. I didn't realize the area was also a hunting area or that it was hunting season. If I had known that, I probably would have worn orange. I have hiked on the AT (Appalachian Trail) before near Springer Mountain in hunting season and one is advised to where orange. 

It was good to share the trails with bikers, walkers, hikers, runners, and folks with their dogs, and the hunters. Multi-use trails at their best.

The trails were clean (for the most part). I only saw two pieces of clothing, one bottle left behind (on a stump), and some toilet paper.

After my hike, I saw this rock in the parking lot. It caught my attention because it looked heart-shaped as I walked over it.  It was so flat on the top. After I took a photo, I pulled it out and took a photo of the hole. The rock was not flat on the backside, bur rather about an inch or so in depth. I returned it to its proper place.

A quote by Socrates last night in a chapter in Jane Rubietta's Resting Place: A Personal Guide to Spiritual Retreats got me thinking more about that rock. What you see/saw on the outside, on the top, was not what was underneath. Socrates wrote: "Give me beauty in the inward soul; may the outward and the inward man be at one."

Reflecting on that quote (and some of the chapter in Rubietta's book), along with the rock, here are some things I have been mulling over:

• The rock won't change on the inside, except over time (lots of time) and wearing away. Because it is a hard rock, it is less likely to change its form.
• As people, we can change our outsides to match our insides and vice versa. What you see is what you get, so to speak. It takes effort, humility, maturity, etc. 
• It means not wearing masks, living with integrity, allowing our souls to become whole, living into wholeness and freedom, etc.

My whole purpose in hiking and taking time apart is for my soul to catch up with my body, for my soul to have the opportunity to become whole again, for its parts to heal and recover. Hiking also helps the outer me become whole too. It's part of my outdoor and nature therapy, drawing me closer to the Creator.

I don't always get it right. I don't always respond well. I still make mistakes, fall, fail, etc. For the most part I stopped wearing masks long ago and I have been seeking to live into my true self rather than my false self. The false self pops in/up every now and then. But, I'm learning. I'm growing. I'm listening to what God is saying to me and teaching me. Some days it's a slow process. There are others days in which I have a light bulb moment. 

But, much like a hiking trail, it's the journey that matters to me. What do I see and experience along the way? What are the sights, the sounds, the new things, the old things.... how does the air smell.... how does the breeze feel..... etc. How do all these things refresh and renew my soul and spirit and remind me that I am a beloved child of God?

I believe that my outward and inward person are becoming more congruent, more "at one', as Socrates puts it. I will continue the inward and outward journey, living into spiritual disciplines that grow and stretch both sides of those muscles.

Rubietta writes this about spiritual disciplines/practices: "Spiritual disciplines are intended to transform us for the sake of others.' (65)  That is very much the same as I learned from Bob Mulholland when he spoke at my 2 Year Academy and from his books.  If my silence, solitude, prayer, Scripture reading, etc. time isn't transforming me.... then they aren't going to be of help to others and I might as well not do them. Only if the practices are transforming me will they be of use/help to others.

I still don't have all the answers. Nor do I need to. I am where I am to be, doing what I am called to do, for such a time as this. And, even so, I know my calling as pastor is strong and secure. God reminds me of that and I am grateful. 

Hiking may not be the thing that is good for your soul. Find what is and do it.

Peace and adventures on the journey!

Rev. Deb

P.S. Here are my hiking photos. Flowers, trees, views, ferns, mushrooms, etc.