My Moment At The Lake

Amid the boating, floating, laughing and cajoling, one of my favorite moments at Norris Lake this week came late on our third day, just as the blistering sun disappeared behind the trees in the distance. The water was calm, the air was cool, and the crickets played a three-part harmony in surround-sound.

After dinner, Kim and I made our way back down to the dock, where we sat by ourselves, far away from the party above us and even further away from the demands of our daily lives back home. We didn’t exactly recreate the Gilligan’s Island theme song, but it was close: “No phone, no lights, no motor cars, not a single luxury / Like Robinson Caruso, it’s primitive as can be.”

Just as the sky turned black, and just as we were about to go back up to join our group, I captured a moment that reminds me why I love being in nature. For me, it will be a permanent reminder of the peace and tranquility that exists in an otherwise crazy world, if only we go looking for it.

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I GO TO NATURE to take me away from what I have at home, like work, worry, or deadlines. I like the words from the Zac Brown Band: “Gonna put the world away for a minute / And pretend I don’t live in it.” I think we all need to do that from time to time.

I also go to nature to find perspective. I’m often reminded of Jon Krakauer’s book, “Into Thin Air,” when he compares his long climb up Mt. Everest to the way many of us lead our lives -- always searching for more, yet often disappointed once we get to the top. He writes: “Unfortunately, the sort of individual who is programmed to ignore personal distress and keep pushing for the top is frequently programmed to disregard signs of grave and imminent danger as well. This forms the nub of a dilemma that every Everest climber eventually comes up against: in order to succeed you must be exceedingly driven, but if you’re too driven you’re likely to die….thus the slopes of Everest (like the world around us) are littered with corpses.” Life is about relationships, not just professional success.

I also go to nature to strengthen my belief that I am part of something much bigger than myself. I know all the apparent inconsistencies to a life of faith, and I know I don't always practice what I preach, but the complexities of science always enhance what I believe. Mother Teresa once said, "We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls." I can read that quote over and over again.

I also go to nature to be astounded, just like Forrest Gump was when he traveled all over the world, beginning with his service in Vietnam. Late in the movie, he says to Jenny, “Sometimes it would stop raining long enough for the stars to come out... and then it was nice. It was like just before the sun goes to bed down on the bayou. There was always a million sparkles on the water... like that mountain lake. It was so clear, Jenny, it looked like there were two skies, one on top of the other. And then in the desert, when the sun comes up, I couldn't tell where heaven stopped and the earth began. It's so beautiful.”

And I go to nature to find rest for my soul. John Denver had a song 40 years ago called "To The Wild Country," which featured this chorus: 

"To the mountains / I can rest there
To the river / where I can be strong
To the forest / I'll find peace there
To the wild country / where I belong"
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I'M GLAD TO BE HOME and I'm actually looking forward to going back to work on Monday. A week ago, I didn't believe that was possible.

I have no doubt the hectic pace of life will soon return. In that regard, the game of life is like a game of football -- if you're in uniform, you will get hit. Make no mistake, it is going to happen.

But when I need to, I will remember this peaceful timeout from the past week that will allow me to keep everything in perspective.

Storms pass.

Hurt is healed.

The heat of the day is soon replaced by the cool of the night.

See, here's the thing: There is peace and tranquility in this otherwise crazy world, if only we going looking for it.

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