TobyMac is my Homeboy;Jesus is my Savior
Friday, October 12, 2007
Nature Essay
"Man's heart away from nature becomes hard." Standing Bear said this about our society. We are living in a very different time period than that of Emerson and Thoreau. There is more technology available: video games, computers, and other electronic devices. Everything, from magazine advertisements to tv commercials, is competing for our attention. It takes a strong person to put aside these things and spend time enjoying the world around him.When I was in 7th grade, I attended Oakwood Christian School. During March, every student was required to go to The Wilds, a Christian camp in North Carolina. When February ended, tons of high schoolers loaded their belonging on the church vans and headed to North Carolina. As we rode, my friend Kirsten and I looked out the window at the beautiful scenery. The flat landscape quickly transformed into mountains and streams. When we got there, we had orientation in a really big room. After that, we had free time. Kirsten and I went to explore and check out the surroundings.
The next days were filled with sermons, activities, and events. The day before we returned home, we had a final meeting. We were scheduled to go on a long hike up one of the mountains to the waterfalls. It was a long walk and as the day dragged on, the sun beat down on us. When we finally arrived at our destination, we all took off our shoes so we could wade in the water. Several waterfalls flowed down into the valley. Since it was March, the water was FREEZING! Kirsten and I decided to continue up the trail past everyone else. In a few minutes, we came to a clearing. Kirsten yelled at me to stand beside her. When I did, the scenery took my breath away. Beautiful snow capped mountains shone in the distance. John Muir once said, "How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!" I never really understood this quote until that day. The trees and flowers in the valley were just blooming and the world was "waking up" from winter. I was completely awestruck by the beauty of God's creation.
Looking back on that day, I will never forget what I learned. I realized that I shouldn't take anything for granted, and that there is beauty in everything around me. We complain about not having enough technology, when really all we need is time. Emerson and Thoreau never had any of the creature comforts we do. Instead, they got out into the world and enjoyed their surroundings. Now every time I reach for my cell phone or get online to surf the Internet, I think about whether or not it's really important. And I remember Standing Bear's quote, "Man's heart away from nature becomes hard."
posted by Jenn at 11:45 AM
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