I knew I needed a reset. All the signs were there. I was grumpy. I was lethargic. Work was frustrating. I wasn’t feeling good about myself. I didn’t feel like praying. And you know that person whose only purpose in life, it seems, is to pull you down? That special deluxe order hater? Well my super-hater was getting more and more under my skin than normal. I desperately needed a reset.
Yesterday, I had planned to go to the beach after work but got ambushed as I dropped in the house to change my clothes. “Where you going daddy?” “To the beach.” “Without us?” (puppy dog eyes) “Uh…no… sigh. I have to do groceries, you all wanna come?” “Yay!” And just like that my reset plan turned into a grocery outing, which was not too bad. I enjoy spontaneous moments with my little ones, but it was not what I really needed.
This morning I woke up feeling worse. I was desperate now. I had to do something! Then as though manna fell from heaven. Angels sang as an outrageous plan floated into my mind. What is stopping me from doing a bike ride to the waterfall? Exercise, nature, water, fresh air, natural beauty, all the ingredients of a blissful morning.
An hour or so later I was rounding the last bend and there it was…exhale. The stepping stone path was lined on either side with thick, verdant foliage bearing small white flowers. The flowers were littered on the path as well and just coming into sight was the Maracas waterfall. It isn’t fed by a much of a stream but what it lacks in volume it makes up for in height. The water cascades down the cliff face, connecting with various outcroppings before stinging the huge rocks at the bottom. As you near the bottom, fine mist covers you and then as you get closer it gets progressively heavier until the main downpour thrums on your head and shoulders.
At first, I just sat on a rock and drank it all in. Everything spoke to me of the goodness of God. His fingerprint was on everything. The rocks, the trees, the clouds scooting across the sky. I saw His beauty all around me. I felt His love in the mist on my face. His mercy and grace flowed over me in wave after wave, unceasingly, like the water flowing over that waterfall that somehow never ran out. I sang praises with the birds and washed away the cares of the world as I stood under the cascade.
My soul needs periodic refreshing in the bowels of nature as much as my body needs food. It’s not just a luxury. It’s a necessity. I couldn’t live an urban life. I often wonder how those sterile, concrete housing schemes are affecting the souls of its inhabitants. I know I couldn’t survive there.
But I need to do more. Currently, I’m just surviving. Living for nature top-ups. It’s not just nature but general soul care. I need to formulate a plan. Less technology. Less noise. More stillness. More solitude. More play. More bare footedness. Less busy-ness. More walks and runs and rides. More sun, sand, sea, forest and river.
I realize that it won’t happen unless I make it happen. So, I’m making a commitment. Making some changes. Little habits I will inculcate every week, every month, every year to ensure that I’m not just surviving but thriving. What about you? Is your life feeling cluttered and rushed? Or maybe just a little less alive than you know it could be? Maybe you need a reset?
Joyfully,
Copyright 2018, Matik Nicholls. All rights reserved.