Lindsay L. O'Connor

After walking in the blazing heat yesterday and feeling pretty yucky afterward, I had planned to swim this morning. However, when I went to look out the window, I was greeted by a beautiful gray morning washed clean by a rain shower. My resolve to not go on any more walks for a while was quickly squashed when I stepped outside and felt the cool air that is so uncommon this time of year.

Mornings like this are a gift. No school, no noise, no obligations, just time by mysef to walk and enjoy the bits of nature that are weaved into the neighborhood. Even though we don’t live out in the middle of nowhere, by any means, after living in apartments for 6 years, I still have a great appreciation for the pieces of nature I can enjoy when I go for a walk to the park and around the neighborhood. I love observing and living among squirrels, rabbits, bluejays, doves, mockingbirds, ducks, and all of those wonderful trees you can find in older neighborhoods. I believe that God made mornings special and uses them to remind us that we can get a fresh, clean start each day we walk with Him. It’s so easy to imagine the trees and the rocks crying out to praise Him on mornings like this.