Boone, North Carolina
I've said it before, and I will say it again: I love the mountains, I love the trees, and I LOVE a small town. Boone, North Carolina has secured a special place in my heart for those very reasons.
I had the pleasure of spending my Colombus Day weekend completely unplugged and surrounded by exceptional company on a 3 day trip out into the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was even more perfect because it was nearly peak week — meaning the autumn foliage was on full display.
As my faith has grown, I have become more and more in awe of Creation. I first became enthralled in the daily: Blades of grass, wind blowing in the trees, and the sounds of birds chirping. But watching the seasons change, knowing our world is commanded by a God of perfection and beauty adds an element of infatuation that I can’t really describe. I love sitting passenger princess on a winding road in the middle of nowhere and looking out the window. Every tree is unique, every lookout gives a new perspective on the same vast land, every sunbeam that cuts through the leaves gives a radiant glow to the undergrowth. There is no place I find Jesus more than in nature.
Boone, North Carolina is home to a dear friend of mine. She works at a cute little coffee shop and spends the rest of her time helping lead a student ministry on the local college campus. I find it admirable that there are people who crave simple lives like hers. She finds her value in the Lord, and serves him daily through volunteering and honest work. When she isn’t working in both those capacities, she spends her time in her jeep on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Her afternoons and evenings are filled with watching sunsets, spending time with her insanely funny friends, and soaking in God’s Creation.
“Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17)
Nothing is too hard for Him. Not even creating the most beautiful people and places. Boone reminded me to appreciate the details. The details in the natural beauty around me, the details in my friendships, the details in my daily life. How am I spending time with God? Am I putting Him first and allowing all His good to flow through me? Or am I bogging down my mind with stress and anxiety, with over-scheduling and worldly desires?
My little trip to the woods allowed my brain to reset. I can easily get trapped in the cycle of urban life. Everything is so fast-paced but that is not the way the Lord intended things. I want to look back on this season and feel as though I have turned the mundane into an appreciation for the Lord’s creation. I want to live a more simple life in the midst of the chaos of Washington, D.C., and the people of Boone, North Carolina inspired that.
THANKS BOONE! Until next time — xoxo.
