On the Road Again-Day Six

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?  Isaiah 40:11-12 (NIV)

Today, though it was tempting to stay at the cabin and lay around by the river again, we hauled the motorcycle all the way up here so decided we really ought to go for a ride! We promised ourselves we would come back in time to rest before going out to dinner with a friend who summers here. So, we decided to ride the motorcycle to Amicalola Falls. The ride took us through woods and past apple orchards and farms. In just a few months, the area will be full of tourists and the packing houses will be busy. Now, they are all closed which was disappointing. I could just taste a dried apple pie with a glass of apple cider! In the sun, it was hot riding so we were glad to reach the State Park. We left the motorcycle at the base of the falls and walked past a calm, still pond where people fished for trout and huge tadpoles swam in the shallows. We followed a hiking trail along a rushing stream until we reached a set of stairs. One hundred and seventy nine stairs to be exact. They took us up to a bridge about halfway up to the falls. We had a great view and the spray from the falls cooled us off. We were soaked from sweat after our climb. And we still had four hundred and twenty five more steps to go until we reached the top of the falls! I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. I am definitely out of shape! But, I pushed myself to the end because I had no choice. There was no place else to go but up! When we climbed all 604 steps and reached the top of the falls, I was surprised to see that the massive, powerful waterfall emerged from a narrow shallow stream. It trickled over rocks as children played in its water until the waterway reached the drop off. Once it went over the edge, it changed into a torrential waterfall. As the water fell, it reflected and magnified the sunlight coming through the trees. The spray of water hitting the rocks looked like steam and was very beautiful. After looking at the falls from the top, we had to walk all the way back down until we finally reached the trout pond again. It made me think of how God uses difficult times in our life to glorify Him. Like the trout stream, we meander through life until the inevitable times of trouble bring us to the point where we must trust that God is good and will take care of us no matter what happens to us. It is in those times of despair, that we can most glorify God through our faith and obedience. The good news is that just as the rushing stream ends in a quiet trout pond, in His time, we will also be brought to a place of peace and calm.