a favorite way to spend a saturday...

three girls

a sack lunch

a mountain

& GOD

This past Saturday, Ashley {my roommate}, Annie {my dear, visiting friend}, and I slipped away from the craziness of our lives to Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville. We packed our lunches, put on our tennis shoes, and grabbed our Bibles {and journals, and additional reading and study materials...}, ready for some much needed quiet time. We found my favorite spot, a rock ledge that is hidden away under a canopy of trees, and sat down to enjoy our view and our lunches. We chatted for a while, and then each grew quiet. We had no particular plan, though we had originally thought we would roam around a bit more, so we each settled into the silence and our spot on the rock.

I was surprised when I looked at my phone and saw that we had been there for nearly three hours. All of a sudden, a mighty wind seemed to roar around us, breaking our silence. It almost felt like GOD was giving us HIS approval or dismissing us or something. We stayed a while longer, reflecting on our individual experience on the rock, and then left to explore some more of the park {and find a restroom}.

I had been needing a day like this for a while.

In community, but in solitude, and in nature.

 I have decided that it is definitely a favorite way to spend a Saturday.