To Truly Live

photo credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/542894930054331464/

To Truly Live

Before I am too old and gray,

I yearn to run away some day;

to fall from the face of the earth,

in hopes of finding the hidden’s worth,

to follow the footsteps of Thoreau

and learn to live before I go…

to truly live before I go...

perhaps finding myself along the way.

_________________________________________________________

Henry David Thoreau is a favorite poet of mine, though he was much more than just a poet. He wanted to determine what was important in life, so that he could get the most out of life. His attempt to discover these treasures led to him living alone in a tiny cabin in the woods for two years, two months and two days. I will point out that he was not a hermit during this time. He was close enough to visit Concord when he chose to. In his self-inflicted solitude, he wrote his most well known works, "Walden."

One of my favorite Thoreau quotes is, "Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves." Lately, I long to get lost in a quiet place in the middle of the woods somewhere, perhaps because I am feeling a bit lost myself lately and I seek to understand....myself, life, the next step along the way and so many things I don't even know I need to learn until, alone, God allows me to discover them. 

When you get a chance, you should read Thoreau's "Walden's, Where I Lived and What I Lived For." Take your time reading it and get lost with him at Walden's Pond.

__________________________________________________________

Heavenly Father, Sometimes I believe we need to get closer to nature, if only to remove all distractions and chaos from our mind. Once these hindrances are swept away by the breeze, we can more clearly see our true self and more distinctly hear Your voice. Yet, the call to join Mother Nature can not always be heeded. So, even in the quiet of my bedroom or sitting in my backyard, I ask You to join me. Release all tensions and worries and allow me to learn how to truly live the way You want me to. May I rejoice in each day and learn to live more abundantly in You. ~ Amen