One of my mentors is Martin Luther King Jr. I began to study him early in my life because for as long as I can remember....my dad had a picture of him on his desk. My dad taught me about MLK -- the man and the message, including what implications there were for my theology, for the church, for the way I'd live my life, and my own ethnic identity.
To observe the day...we jumped in the car and headed to the mountains.
The car was silent (imposed by us).
Heidi found a MLK sermon (one of his last) and played it.
We asked the kids to listen to every word and promised that we'd explain it afterward.
At multiple moments, I found myself crying in the drivers seat.
His message was powerful and prophetic...and still so timely in 2017.
After the sermon the mountains were a welcome sight
A sermon to teach us how to be reconciled to one another
A mountain to teach us how to be reconciled to creation
Driving to the mountains from Fresno is a breeze. Within 15 minutes we are in the foothills and within an hour we are at 6000 feet.
Today was about snowshoeing at Panoramic Point in Sequoia National Park
The kids were tired today....we didn't make it to our destination. That's ALWAYS ok!
We stopped half way for a bite to eat, hot chocolate, and hanging out. Noah is concerned that he won't get as many apples as his older siblings. #3rdKidProblems
And of course, Noah is concerned about having enough hot chocolate to drink. Because again, the struggle is real for the 3rd kid.
As we hiked though....we noticed that as our pace slowed and our destination changed (no summits today), we found ourselves taking more breaks for food & hot chocolate. As we did this...their demeanour began to change. We noticed their contentment.
Portraits of contentment.
I think everybody could find contentment through snowshoeing. Snowshoeing is a fun way to hike in the winter. You'll love the sound the snow makes under your snowshoes and the way the trees look under heavy loads of snow.
Every snowshoe trip we ask our kids learn a lesson from what they see.
Elizabeth saw a tree with three limbs. She said, "Daddy....that tree is like God"
Josiah saw a rock covered in moss. He said, "Daddy, the moss covers the rock to keep it warm. God takes care of us too."
Noah....mumbled.
Joel...said nothing. Typical.
The mountains have lessons to teach if we are willing to listen. If we are willing to be reconciled to creation we will undoubtedly find contentment within it's wild.
A sermon from MLK & a hike
...2 lessons
...1 family
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