A morning walk

So, I've been doing a little more reminiscing today, and was reminded of one particular experience I had when things weren't really going as I would have liked. It happened awhile back on one of my many walks I would take in my favorite place in Calgary:

Oh, how I longed for something, just out of grasp of my conscious knowledge. I sensed it, but could not put my finger on it, could not identify it. Walking along the river toward Eau Claire that morning before class, I felt it. The rushing water was beautiful, the sun shining brightly on its surface. Almost all the signs of winter were gone, all but the occasional shrunken snowdrift and the bare trees reaching their brittle branches to the sky. And I lifted my face to the sky, soaking in the sun, enjoying the feeling of the gentle breeze in my hair, and smelling the earth and water around me. And for a moment, I forgot where I was or even who I was. I forgot the sounds of the construction going on in the area, the joggers and bikes rushing past, the disturbing headlines of the war on Iraq...I ceased to try and understand life and all its complications...everything stood still. I'm not even going to say it was any sort of "religious" experience...I think it was one split second of just BEING. Then I opened my eyes, and everything I saw evoked fond memories of long and not-so-long ago. And I can't explain the feeling that I had then. Like I wanted to stretch out and grasp the ungraspable. Like approaching a field full of flowers that looks so inviting to walk through, but it has the tallest fence surrounding it and you can't get it. Perhaps it was peace I was missing, within myself. But I think at that moment on my walk, I felt it, in all its richness and purity. And as I was approaching Eau Claire, I walked through the little playground where the kids play in the water in the summertime. And there were many children there with their moms and babysitters. It was so cool to observe them racing around with the biggest smiles on their faces, really unaware of anything wrong going on in the world. For them, every moment was the best, and I remembered what that felt like. And the rest of the day (although endured with tired feet, a tired head, and tired mind), was quite enjoyable. And as I looked more closely at the trees, I notices tiny buds on the branches, and I couldn't wait for them to open, revealing new life...then I would know it was Spring.

Tonight I felt that same sense of longing that I had been experiencing before I went on that morning walk. Then I remembered Paul's words in his letter to the Philippians- "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." And as I prayed, I quickly felt a sense of relief that could only come from God. So if any of you are feeling tired, anxious, or a sense of longing, pray to God and let his Spirit fill you with a peace that surpasses all understanding.