Josh Mains, MS, LPC
The past couple weekends, I’ve gotten to go down to Red River Gorge with various friends of mine, and it was awesome. In fact, I don’t think there’s been a time that I’ve gone down there that hasn’t been awesome, haha. So as I sit here and reflect back on the past two weekends, I wanted to share some thoughts I had on how we benefit from spending intentional time outside.
The first benefit that comes to mind when spending time outdoors is learning to embrace the calming, quiet, and slower pace of life. In all of the busyness that comes with everyday life, there’s usually the sound of cars or trucks zooming by, the fast pace of life driving in traffic trying to get to our next destination on time, and the pressure of having to knock out the next project or assignment. By contrast, the outdoors consists of a quiet stillness, where even the noises of nature you do hear are much more tranquil and innocent. The pace of hiking a trail forces you to slow down, and take things one step at a time. And the only goal of being outside is to simply enjoy the scenery, be present, and follow the path that’s in front of you. No deadlines, no rushing, just enjoying the present moment.
The second benefit I’ve noticed from spending time outdoors is feeling much more grounded. There’s something unique (and maybe even supernatural) that happens when we step out of a world of man-made structures of buildings, cars, and furniture, and into a world of only God-made structures. It’s a fascinating reality to be in when you’re outside; pretty much everything around you was created by God. The trees, the bushes, the rocks, the animals, everything, is God-made. And something about being in God’s domain causes me to feel more grounded, and more connected with God.
The third and final benefit I’ll share is that when I’m outside (and especially when I’m in Red River Gorge), I get to experience this incredible sense of adventure. You may already know this, but Red River Gorge is filled with beautiful, sandstone rock, and in the gorge there are TONS of huge rock features that are perfect for climbing. Actually, even though RRG has some incredible trails, the red is primarily known for its excellent rock climbing walls. But both the hiking trails and the climbing crags have some amazing features to climb. And it’s here that I find that inner calling for adventure being brought to life. This last benefit might be more specific to a certain personality type, but I still think this is a huge benefit to being outdoors. Because sometimes, everyday life can sometimes be a little mundane. But being outdoors seems to be a good remedy for this.
So my encouragement to you today is break away from the fast-paced, sometimes mundane rhythm of everyday life, and go spend time outdoors where you can slow down, recenter yourself, experience God, and go on an adventure. And to hopefully inspire you, here are some pictures from times I’ve gone on adventures in Red River Gorge (and a few of these are from the past couple weekends!).
That’ll do for now. Till next time!
What are your thoughts?