Rushing Waters and Grindstone Falls

As I stepped out of the car I could hear the sound of the water rushing over the rocks. My kids were off and racing toward the lookout as I slowly followed behind. Moms are always the last to reach the exciting destinations. We are slowed down by details, by backpacks and snacks and the plethora of stuff that seem a necessity to bring along on a family outing. I was adjusting my camera as I reached the wooden stairs. The rush of the water was much louder now. I could hear my kids talking but because of the din I could not make out what they were saying. As I finally reached the bottom of the stairs and looked at the waterfall, I smiled. It was beautiful. The sun had chosen just that moment to peek through the leaves and the light seemed to dance among the water drops. I took this picture. It was one of those moments when you sigh because it seems that for just a brief second all is right. I love capturing those moments on my camera.

We were at this beautiful spot because we were attending our first monthly Worship with Creation event that Jason had organized for our church family. It was a great day with a devotional time that challenged us to expand our ideas of worship, and a hike that allowed us to look around for God's beauty in nature and in one and other.

As we stood almost level with the cliff of the falls, Jason spoke to us about how water is often used in the bible to describe Jesus. We often think of its beauty but we are reminded in scripture of it's power. He used the words of John as one of his examples,

"His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance."
Revelation :14-16

As Jason spoke we could hear the power of the rushing water, we could feel it. As we went on our hike we could see how the power of the water cut through the rocks. It had smoothed ruff edges over time and chiseled paths where there had once been dry land. In some places the water was so still that we could almost see our own reflections in the pool. In other places it was running swiftly and pushing debris down its path. And as we finally made our way back to the falls, where we had begun I realized that there was some excitement to being near the falls itself and its power and majesty. I also realized that I stood there again at the cliff that to describe this waterfall with words is somehow lacking. Oh there are many superlatives to be sure but none of them really do it justice if you have not been there and experienced the scene in person. Even the photos which I love to take don't quite capture the real essence. And for me that also reminded me of trying to describe the Jesus I know to those who don't. No matter how hard I try somehow there is always something lost in the translation and my words never do Him justice and yet that does not diminish the truth of the experience. Jason and I wrote a song called "If You Could Know What I Know" and it reminds me of this post so if you feel like listening to a tune you can find it here on his missiology album.

We are into the home stretch with just the final day of our Thirty Days of Almost Nothing experiment to complete. I think we have learned a lot and there has certainly been a lot of discussion. I am trying to put together a post that summarizes all that I have learned and hope to have it up in a couple of days. I will keep posting recipes on Free recipe Friday as I have had many encouraging comments.  Did I mention I love comments!  Below are a few other pics that I took on our hike. Have a blessed day!