Beautiful Places

On Sunday I went to the Burden Center's Trees and Trails with my mom. I went wanting to scope it out and get familiar with the trails because I wanted to use it as a place to jog. I never even heard of Trees and Trails until about a week or so ago when I read about it in the Daily Reveille, which said, "The trails provide a safe route for runners who want to experience nature while they exercise...Students can use the trails as an alternative to running the lakes." So I'm all excited because it's right down the road from my house. Convenient location, 3.5 miles of trails, different routes to keep it interesting. Much to my dismay when we get there I'm reading the sign with all the rules and it says no jogging or other athletic activities. Well, sad day. 

We still walked all the trails and it is a nice place. There are two pretty cool spots. One is along the Black Swamp Trail where there is a boardwalk that actually goes out over the swamp. Even better is the Meditation Garden. It has a pond and a bench in a gazebo. It was beautiful. While sitting there enjoying beauty of it I realized I just wanted to pray and spend time with the Lord. I've realized that about beautiful places, that that is what I want to do in them. Undistracted by everything else, just in God's nature, worshiping Him. 

That's not the only place I want to pray though. I miss praying with others, like before TNT. Praying with a small group. Sharing what we need prayer for, petitioning to God, together. I would go in to the prayer room a little apprehensive. I wanted to be there so much but I've never been really comfortable praying out loud. I hear all these wonderful prayers that and then when I go to pray all the words seem to get lost. What I'm praying silently just disappears. "My heart won't tell my mind to tell my mouth what it should say." (Country lyrics totally out of context). I know it doesn't matter what comes out, how it sounds, the Lord still hears it and the people I'm with aren't judging (at least I certainly would hope not!). 

With all that said, that quickly became my favorite part of TNT, if not the week. I just can't  really word how much I enjoyed it. When I found out TNT was cancelled the Thursday before Good Friday I was upset because we wouldn't be having TNT but even more so because that meant we wouldn't be praying together. Now TNT is over for the semester and I really miss it, praying with others.