The Trail, My Mistress?

This morning, after a few weeks of not going out much and certainly not training like I intended to, I tried to go for a speed hike.  And it was kind of creepy, but it was like the trail took on a personality...and it was NOT happy with me for some reason.  The snow had melted and the trail was now muddy, so muddy it seemed to be spitting at me.  Then it tried to suck my shoes right off of my feet.  After fighting it awhile, I swear a tree branch reached out and slapped me across the face.  On purpose! 

I began to think about my wife's reference of the trail as my "mistress"  (It calls me early in the morning and says "Come to me, I've been waiting for you."  It attracts me and seduces me with its beauty.  I run away to it for hours at a time for my own personal pleasure... Ok, I'm starting to feel guilty).  I suddenly began to see the trail this morning as a nagging woman who was mad at me for neglecting her for so long.  She was certainly unhappy to see me!  She was refusing to let me have an enjoyable time this morning!  So, I quit.  I decided to go home to my wife (well, right after I wrote this blog post...perhaps writing is yet another mistress...)

In all seriousness though, sometimes the trail does seem to be alive.  When I go for a run or a hike on the trail I like the solitude.  I like to be alone.  But occasionally I get the feeling I am not.  In many ways it is alive if you think about it.  There are little bugs and animals everywhere that have eyes that seem to be watching.  The grass, trees, and plants are actually alive and growing, right?  And they are said to respond to music and noise.   Sometimes I get the feeling the trail is listening to me when I sing.

I deliberately sing and talk to the Lord on the trail sometimes, but I'm not one of those guys that equates God with "Mother Nature."  I believe Nature is simply a system God created.  However, once I seriously pondered the thought that maybe God sees and hears us specifically through the nature He has created, and that in fact He does see us and hear us through the eyes and ears of other people and animals.  Probably just a crazy thought of mine, but perhaps it is something to think about.  Next time you think you are alone but don't feel alone, remember that you actually aren't.  Go ahead and speak.  Let yourself be heard.  And think about Who you are talking to.

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." -Romans 1:20, 21