After living in the mountains of western North Carolina for nearly 30 years now, I've come to realize how all too often I take the beauty around me for granted. It didn't used to be that way. When I first married and moved here, I was daily amazed at the beauty and majesty of these mountains. But, the older I'm getting the more I'm realizing how very important it is to take some time and really enjoy God's creation.
Since there was no church on Easter Sunday night, we decided to take some chicken and fixins' and go up on the Blue Ridge Parkway to watch the sunset. What a glorious view! And, other than the price of the food and gas to go up there, it was totally free.
I've never stopped to notice how perfectly quiet it can be up there so high -- away from the traffic and noise of the world below. With the exception of a few passing cars on the road below the overlook, the only noise we heard was the magical singing of all the birds.
How relaxing it was sitting there on the blanket on the ground watching the sun descend slowly behind the mountains -- and what an awesome site to watch! To put it in the words of a friend of mine, "Can you imagine, if it's that beautiful on this side of Heaven, what it's going to be like on the other side?" No, friend -- I can't even begin to imagine. But, this much I know -- one day I will find out first-hand!
Thank you, God, for your blessings on me!
