Hiking at Nkhoma, or, the grandeur of God

Saturday last, a fantastic campus family invited some of the singles to go for a hike at a place called Nkhoma. My friend Molly and I jumped at the chance, so bright and early we packed up some food, water, and sunscreen and headed off. 

If you love hiking, you would have loved this hike. If you're remotely interested in anything beautiful, you would have loved this hike. I can't explain it...

For lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, the Lord, The God of hosts, is his name. {amos 4.13}

The family that invited us has two sweet little guys who bravely trekked right along with us. 

They had some great family teamwork involved in order to make it to the top. 

We had lunch on a ledge overlooking more fantastic hills and fields and dust and scrubby trees.

I do want my family/friends/casual acquaintances back home to have some faces for names. So above I'm chilling (catching my breath. ha.) with Molly and the two kiddos. Below are Becca, Kellen, and their boys.

This was when Yami first got on my back. Notice how confident and comfortable I look.

This is one of the 732 breaks I took on the bit of trail I carried him for. Notice how red-faced and heavy laden I look. Notice how relaxed he looks.

When we got to the top, we forgot about the brief season of strain. We marveled.

For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the sky, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies, Lord, our God, to Thee we raise our song of grateful praise. {folliot s. pierpoint}

The beauty here makes the heart sing praises, joining in with the voices lifted in song from the prayer meeting on another part of the mountain. Sorry for all those prepositions. What is it about climbing rocks, holding children, seeing dozens of mud huts from hundreds of meters upward that is so mind boggling? It could be that the grandeur of God is so carefully reflected in each one, if one but looks for it.

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
   It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
   It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
   And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
   And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.  

And for all this, nature is never spent;
   There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
   Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs--
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
   World broods with warm breast and ah! bright wings. {gerard manley hopkins}

I know I want to end on something wonderful to leave you with. After reading this post script, please re-read Hopkins so he's what stays with you. Anyway, I want to thank each of you for reading! I love to receive your emails and comments. I love to know you're interested in my life and that you want to remain a part of it. I thank God for each of you.

Last thing! Praying friends, please pray that I would remain faithful, committed, and enthusiastic in my role as a teacher. By "remain," I mean "stay this way!" I still love what I do each day, but I fear that as other factors begin to take their toll on my physical and emotional energy, some of my stamina will wane. Pray that God would continue to keep me strong, so I can walk worthy of the calling I've been given.

Now go back and read some great poetry and remember, "The world is charged with the grandeur of God."