Power of Nature

As we started to climb the mountain, my heart began to race, and for the first time in what seemed like ages, I was filled with excitement. You could feel the temperature as it gradually began to drop and the air as it slowly started becoming thin. The mist-like breeze from the waterfall miles away and thousands of feet above was trickling down. With each turn, the beauty of where we were headed started to show. The higher we climbed, the faster all of our problems began to fade away. Without a worry in the world, we were like grown men who learned how to become kids once again. Once having arrived, the scenery was like a postcard, though our hearts said another world.

There is power in nature if you learn how to obtain it. A power to relax, to restart, to leave all worries behind. To remind oneself that in a world of chaos, there is still a beauty like nothing else. An ability to sit next to a lake, with both the warmth of the sun and cold of the wind. Continuing our Fishermen's Retreat, the lessons of why we came started to reveal themselves to us.

Iron sharpens iron, so as one man sharpens another. The reasoning behind this was to remind us men how to love, to dream, to open our minds, and most importantly, how to feel emotions once more. Our parental roles as fathers has a deeper meaning behind simple providers, we are teachers of the next generation, for the character of a man or woman begins but does not end at home. Men gathered in a single magical place known as god's territory to reach deeper depths of understanding our faith and council one another.

By spending a few nights in an amazing cabin, in a forest with no phone signal, we began to think of creation. If in the beginning, as in, it's all about creation and not us—how are we not to enjoy this realm? Reminding ourselves how small our problems were in comparison. What seemed so small from a distance began to grow in size the closer we were.

With the distance closing in, what appeared to us was nothing short of magnificent—an icon, the resemblance of Babylon's tower. The trees were so large in size and ever-growing at an astonishing age and height. It was as stepping into a plane that only the great dinosaurs once roamed. Could it be that angels had tread where we now stood. Hundreds of feet high and 30-plus meters wide—simply astonishing. These great creatures were given the name, “Sequoia.”

Strolling through these giants seemed like walking through a battery and re-energizing ourselves. The spiritual enlightening of what was and is now continuously being created. So close to the stars, it was felt throughout the wilderness. You could hear the abundance of life within the forest itself through the swaying branches and echoes of leaves. Through the whistling of the wind, we were invited into this magnificent place. By the sounds of the river streams we were led goodbye.

We achieve restoration as men, as fathers, providers, and more. What we had lacked in the beginning was now available within our hearts. Ability to see through new eyes with new meaning gave life more questions. Sensations never before felt now came with new understandings towards “breath of life.” Meaning, behind burnt soil gives yield to seedlings that nurture growth. Evidence that the forest had its own spirit were all but abundant. The creator for his majestic works of art. The stars for emotions we could not contain. And the Earth for the presence dwelled in such a place.