I loved Nancy’s recent blog about her hiking trail in the desert. Makes me want to visit her and hike that trail with her. I’ve always had a fascination with trails and wilderness, from the time I was a toddler.

My latest obsession began two years ago when I first crossed the state line into Wyoming. Now we actually live in the wide-open spaces of that beautiful state. It’s brand new to us and we love it. The sage in the desert has a certain fragrance, the sunshine a certain clarity, the silence a unique depth. And don’t get me started on the Wyoming Rockies!

GIANT FISHHOOK IN FLAMING GORGE

For me, these trails offer a huge cathedral where I can worship the Creator with a grateful heart.

Something occurred to me, however. I can chatter on and on to perfect strangers about the highs of the hiking trail. Just today, I convinced two other women to go hiking with me soon. In my lifetime (to date, since I’m not dead yet) I’ve convinced many others to go hiking with me locally and even all the way to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I have no trouble touting the joys of hiking. Mel wasn’t a hiker when we first met. That changed in a hurry.

It occurred to me today–as it has before–that if I rhapsodized as eloquently about my wonderful relationship with Jesus Christ as I do about my romance with hiking trails, how many other people would jump on board? I’ve hooked others on the joys of hiking, but how can I hook others on Christ?

When I mentioned this to some close friends today, they reminded me that as we walk daily through the Bible, spending as much energy there as we do with our pastimes, God will talk to us through His Word. Even after decades of knowing Him, we will rediscover the excitement we felt as brand new Christians. That excitement translates itself to others just by the joy and peace we find in our relationship with Him.

The distractions of multiple moves or the upheaval of sudden life changes, loss of loved ones, loss of marriages, empty nest syndrome, can knock us off course and we can lose our focus. Our habits change. Once upon a time I read through the Bible using Hard Sayings of the Bible. That’s a huge book. These days I’m reading through Hard Sayings of Jesus. It’s a fascinating book written by one of the writers of the other Hard Sayings tome.

If you’re like me and have lost the habit of daily Bible readings, would you join me in a loving return to the most important and most strengthening part of the day?