This past weekend was our church retreat. Just like last year we went to The Stronghold, in Oregon, Illinois. (Picture thanks to Mike Clawson)This year however it was not 90 degrees the entire time we were there. Thank goodness. But last year was much more peaceful and solitary than this year. Which is ok... but did make it hard to get alone and spend time with God. Hard to think. To enjoy nature without 10 people walking through your line of sight.
So, Sunday afternoon, during solitude time, Jen, Kelsey and I headed out in the jeep and went across the river to Lowden State Park. Famous for its statue of Chief Blackhawk if for no other reason.
We grabbed our journals and headed down the stairs to the river. Yes. Steps. As an alternative to a path. Worked well. Going down. Going back up was another matter all together. LOL. 202 of them. Very steeply pitched. Now, keep in mind - I am recovering from bronchitis, and I also have asthma. And I'm horribly outta shape. Going up those 202 steps was pure muscle and lung burning torture. I wanted to warn everyone I saw headed down to really think it through before descending......
Anyway, I digress. At the bottom of the steps Jen went left and Kelsey and I headed right. And we followed the path along the Rock River.
Looking for a place to sit. I saw a few that were tempting - but for some reason or another not quite right. So we kept walking. And walking. To the very boundary of the State Park. And there in a quiet, peaceful, shady alcove was a perfect place to waste time with God. A spring(Ganymede Spring) was built into the hillside, a perfect cistern, filtering dirty water and spring runoff into sparkling clean water. Which then bubbled out of a pipe through a gurgling stream to the river. Apparently in the river - which is high right - now there is a pool!Ganymede Spring- The spring lies on a path near the shoreline of the Rock River, which is about ¼ mile north of the Blackhawk statue. The old swimming pool, which lies just beneath the spring can still be seen when the water on the river is low. (the sixth paragraph here talks about the spring....)
It was peaceful sitting there listening to the water, feeling the breeze, watching birds take a bath in the spring, and canoe-ers on the river. You could just feel the tension and stress leave your body. And I had to think; I could have sat at any of those not quite right places along the river and been fairly content. But we saw the journey through to the end and were abundantly rewarded for our perseverance.
All too soon the time was up and we had to head back to the top. To the demon stairs. To the statue.
But, sore as I am today, it was worth the pain.Of course, when we got back to the Stronghold I didn't have to add to the muscle fatigue by hiking down to the pit with Jen - again, the easy part....it was the gradual incline on the way back that had me and my jelly legs huffing and puffing. And in search of water.
Oh, and just in case you might find this interesting - this was in the middle of our fasting day, and my blood sugar was below crashed out. When we got back to the Carriage House, and the aroma of bbq chicken wafted out, I almost collapsed on the lawn. LOL.
Anyway, we took our lemons, and made lemonade and enjoyed the beauty of Lowden State Park. We made space to encounter God. We carved out time to be still. And despite the bustle and activity God was still there waiting. Be still and know that I am God.....Not the same as last year, but good just the same. Different lessons learned.
BTW - as I sat by the spring this are the two songs that came to mind....
David Crowder Band - Here Is Our King
From wherever spring arrives
To heal the ground
From wherever searching comes the look itself
A trace of what we're looking for
So be quiet now and wait
The ocean is growing
The tide is coming in
Here it is
Here is our king, here is our love
Here is our God Who's come
To bring us back to him
He is the one, he is Jesus, Jesus
And what was said to the rose
To make it unfold
Was said to me here in my chest
So be quiet now and rest
The ocean is growing
The tide is coming in
Here it is
Here is our king, here is our love
Here is our God Who's come
To bring us back to him
He is the one, he is Jesus, Jesus
Majesty, finally
Majesty, finally here
Here is our king, here is our love
Here is our God Who's come
To bring us back to him
He is the one, he is Jesus, Jesus
Majesty, finally
Be Still and Know - Steven Curtis Chapman
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is holy
Be still, O restless soul of mine
Bow before the Prince of peace
Let the noise and clamor cease
Be still
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is faithful
Consider all that he has done
Stand in awe and be amazed
And know that He will never change
Be still
Be Still, and know that He is God
Be Still, and know that He is God
Be Still, and know that He is God
Be Still; Be speechless
Be still and know that he is God
Be still and know he is our Father
Come rest your head upon his breast
Listen to the rhythm of his unfailing heart of love
Beating for His little ones
Calling each of us to come
Be still, Be still
EDIT
After I wrote the blog post, I found this:
"The Taft bedrock acts much like a sponge, and rainwater percolates down through the layers. The rocks not only hold vast amounts of water, but also act as a filtering system, which removes impurities as the water slowly passes downward through the layers.
It is this percolation of water through the rocks, which produces Ganymede Spring, although these waters have not been filtered sufficiently for human consumption. In this case, the aquifer is contained within the limestone and dolomite layers of the hillside. As the water trickles down through rock layers, it eventually hits an impermeable layer of shale. As it is unable to move further downward, it must exit the hillside at the spring. The remains of an Eagle's Nest swimming pool still exist, where one can imagine the resident artist soaking on a hot summer afternoon."
(http://www.niu.edu/taft/outdoored/teacher_resources/TheGullyTB.pdf)
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