I love trails. I find them very hard to resist actually. They call to me. They seem to be aware of my unsatiated curiosity. I can walk tirelessly hour after hour, completely enveloped by the beauty around me. It is not the trail's end that intrigues and sparks my curiosity, as much as the step by step wonderment of the journey. Every wind and bend excites me. It is not the arrival of a destination that spurns me on, for with every place my foot gently kisses the earth and with each step I take, I have reached that destination in time. To focus on the end, would mean to miss the colors, sounds, sights, aromas, and textures of the things around me at the moment. So I am intrigued by trails, because to follow them leads to a deeper discovery of myself. They are trails that begin, wind and turn within my own heart. Unending trails, like my unending curiosity and delight in discovery. Trails are a divine path between my heart and our Creator's, where all the beauty He has made tells of Him. The fact that someone went before me and made a way for me, resounds the words, "This is the way, walk ye in it". :) ... But there is so much more ...
I am reminded of a quote from Cleone Thunder of the Northern Arapahoe: “The old people would gather words as they walked a sacred path across the Earth, leaving nothing behind but prayers and offerings.”
Walking the trails reminds me how I learned very early in life the sacred art of gathering from watching the elders as they walked on in front of me. I learned the sacred way we are to gather herbs and plants and nuts … and I learned more and more over time how to gather words. Gathering words is a beautiful thing. Every stick and stone has a history. Each leaf and blade of grass has a story. When we are connected to the earth and living in harmony with all that inhabit her, we learn the language of the 4-legged … the winged … the water and those that swim, and of those that creep and crawl upon the ground. We learn to hear the clouds and the color language of the flowers. We learn the deep wisdom of the trees and the musings of the wildflowers. It is all about connectedness. It is all about being in tune with and aware of our environment as we walk along … gleaning from what we see, hear, smell and touch … allowing these beautiful messengers of Creator tell of Him and bring words of healing, guidance, and wisdom to our lives. We learn to be aware of our surroundings and what it is we are thinking and feeling as we walk along. This is the way we gather words.
I have learned from the elders that as we walk along we also gather the wisdom and prayers of those that have walked before us. And as we walk along, saturating the earth with our own prayers, we leave them for another to gather, who will walk this way later. It is believed that the earth absorbs these prayers and readily shares with those who will listen … and receive … and give ...
I love my long walks along the trails, through the woods and along the lakes. It is a beautiful way for my mind and my heart to be free … an open basket ready to gather beautiful words (and a few beautiful images with my camera). Try it and see for yourself ...
Listen to what nature is saying all around you. Pay attention to what your thoughts and emotions are as you experience what the earth has to share. Pick things up and examine them along the way. Touch things, smell things, stop and look closer at things, listen carefully to what you hear, and amuse yourself with the gleeful antics of the animals you encounter. Thoughts, feelings and prayers will change and be redirected with each touch and sound, with each new discovery you find. It is never too late to learn the sacred art of gathering and being a part of the sacred circle of connectedness. May the peace and wisdom Creator offers, fill you up as you gather words through His beautiful messengers all around you. Leave nothing behind but your prayers, good thoughts and offerings, so the one who comes after, like you, will gather abundantly.
