ENCOUNTER AT BEACON HEIGHTS

(6/18/09)
(Site B53, Linville Falls Campground, Blue Ridge Parkway)

Here I am at the end of a long, but awesome, day. I hiked a new trail today – Green Knob Trail near Julian Price Park. And I also hiked an old favorite, Beacon Heights Trail near Grandfather Mountain. During that particular hike, I had a very unique experience.

When I arrived at Beacon Heights, the rainstorm that had begun as I was completing my Green Knob hike was still going strong, with sheets of rain and strong gusts of wind. I parked the car at the trailhead and decided to wait it out and see if the storm would pass so that I could hike up to Beacon Heights. While I watched the storm pass, I finished Francis Chan’s “Crazy Love”. After the rain and wind subsided, I rolled my windows down a little as I finished up the last few pages of the book.

As I was reading, I began to hear a whining, whistling sound, haunting and almost melodic, as if multiple “notes” were sounding at once. I recognized it as the wind whistling through something, but couldn’t figure out what it was. I left my car to see if I could satisfy my curiosity. To my surprise, I discovered that the sound seemed to be coming from the summit of Grandfather Mountain. Then I realized what it was. The wind was blowing quickly over the summit of Grandfather, and the “singing” sound was the wind whistling through the Mile-High Swinging Bridge up at the top of the mountain! It was an astonishing experience!

With the bad weather now cleared, I then hit the trailhead and hiked up to Beacon Heights. As I was on my way up the trail, it hit me. The Mile-High Swinging Bridge was designed and built by men. And then today, God brought the wind and created something extraordinarily beautiful. As I reached the outcropping at the top, I realized that God works that way sometimes. We, the Creator’s creations – made in His likeness – use the capable, smart brains that He gave us to dream up creative ideas – anything from building structures to composing songs to writing prose to making scientific discoveries. And then God adds what only He can to create something truly astonishing and noteworthy. He adds the intangible, the supernatural, the God-sized part of the equation (like the strong wind blowing through the bridge), and makes art. It is my belief that this synergy doesn’t always occur – sometimes our ideas are left to survive or fizzle based on their own merit, without God’s direct intervention. But in those “God-moments”, we can really sense Him moving and working, as His Spirit “blows” through us.

Walking across the rock outcropping at the top of Beacon Heights, I noticed a chuck of rock that protruded upward like a table, with a hollowed-out area at the top in which water had pooled in several places. There was another piece of rock right next to it, at about knee-height. I thought to myself how this looked like a natural “altar” and “font” (like those found in some liturgical Christian churches).

Feeling the urge to do so, I dipped my finger in the “font” and crossed myself, then knelt at the “altar” and prayed for a few moments. It was a very special time of dedication to God and recommitment for the days and weeks to come.

Thanks, God, for such an inspiring way to end my time up here with You! It has been an amazing time that started out confusing but ended with an incredible encounter with You. I love You God, and I look forward to seeing You add Your wind (Your Spirit) to my ideas and creativity. Blow through me, O God, and create Your art in me. Take me and use me, O God. I am Your servant.