A Mountaintop Experience

Yesterday, during our annual stay in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I gazed beyond our balcony, across the valley, into the ever-changing vista and asked the question: what is it about the mountains that draws us back year after year? In August, the obvious answer is cooler temperatures. My husband and I enjoy getting away from the day-after-day, ninety-degree inferno and high humidity that characterize summers in Coastal Virginia. Here in the mountains we can hike and play tennis without suffering heat exhaustion. We can sleep with the windows open and eat our meals al fresco on the balcony. But my attraction to the mountains is so much more than the pleasant weather.

Now that the fog has lifted, and the deluge of rain has ceased, I contemplate the majesty of God’s creation. Yes, if I look to my right and my left, I see condominiums lining the ridge. At night I can spot the lights of Charlottesville, reminding me that civilization with all its stresses and complications is but a few miles away. Occasionally in the valley below, I hear indications of human interference like traffic and construction noise. But, if I focus on the splendor of God’s handiwork, I find myself filled with mouth-open awe.

The Blue Ridge with its mountains of varying sizes is painted myriad shades of blue, green, or purple depending on the time of day. The view, with its azure sky, evolving cloud formations, and periodic sightings of native creatures like hawks, butterflies, groundhogs, and rabbits, is never static or stagnant. As I follow the setting sun pulling shadows across the landscape, then disappearing below the horizon, I’m reminded of God's power and majesty.

In contrast to the vast expanse of peaks and valleys, I become aware of my own insignificance in the grand scheme of the cosmos. Yet, as I remember that the Creator of the universe loves me, even me, I am humbled and grateful. It is this spiritual reset that draws me to the mountains. As long as I’m able, I’ll return next year and the year after that.

Cindy L. Freeman is the author of two award-winning short stories and three published novels: Diary in the Attic, Unrevealed and The Dark Room. Coming soon from High Tide Publications: I Want to Go Home. Website: www.cindylfreeman.com; Facebook page: Cindy Loomis Freeman. Her books are available through amazon.com or hightidepublications.com