I did a lot of hiking this summer and one of my favorite hikes was called Old Rag. You hike up the mountain and there is a rock scramble to the top. Once there, you have a 360 degree view of the valley.

I remember reaching the top and going out to the edge and sitting so that my knees were sticking off the edge of the rocks.

It wasn’t very quiet because I was hiking with a pretty large group, but sitting there, looking out into the horizon, I felt this immense peace. It was beautiful, seeing the birds, black against the blue sky, and the trees, like a fuzzy green blanket below, knowing that God created it all.

Another experience that I had was going out to a meadow, not far from where we were staying. It was probably close to 1am, and we walked out to the middle of the meadow and lay down on our backs to watch the stars. The sky was so clear, like navy blue silk, and the stars sparkled like little diamonds.

I love moments like the meadow and Old Rag.

Those moments when you can feel and see God in the way that the wind whispers in your ear and peace settles in your soul, even when you know that you have too much in your life to worry about to have that peace. That’s when you know its God, when there is no rhyme or reason for the peace that spreads like honey through your veins, making you smile. It’s just there. And there’s no question that its God.

Bridget F., Shenandoah National Park, 2014