Sunset on the Rock
We were lost.
Well, Aaron said that he simply didn’t know how to find the place we were going to, but if you ask me, that’s the same thing as being lost.
So we were lost.
It had been a long week, with its homework, essays, and exams, and going to Lookout Mountain with three other friends to close the Sabbath seemed like a great way to get away from everything. The four of us hopped into the car, prayed, blasted some Christian music, and were on our way.
Everything was going great until we actually got to the mountain. We knew there was a turn we were supposed to make somewhere to get to the hiking trail – we just couldn’t figure out where it was. For about forty minutes, we drove in circles. Eventually, we gave up the dream of going to Lookout Mountain, and settled for Rock City. As we were walking down the path, however, we began to hear party music. The music was then accompanied by two women, dressed in rather skimpy attire, who were smoking and drinking. We immediately turned around and went back to the car – this clearly wasn’t a good place to be.
We sat in silence for a moment or two, and then three of us opted to call it a day and head back to campus. Aaron, however, decided that he wasn’t ready to give up. We could have argued with him, but he had the keys. Whether we liked it or not, he was making all of the decisions. With that, we drove from house to house asking for directions. For people who lived so close to the hiking trail, it was surprising how little they knew about it. After a few “I don’t know”s and tragic misdirection from the girl with the dogs, we finally found someone who pointed us in the right direction to the trail.
As the sun began to set, the four of us got out of the car one final time and made our way down the hill warily. Just when I was beginning to have second thoughts about this whole hiking thing, I saw the rock. This particular rock jutted out from the rest of the mountain, giving us a heart-stopping view of the world miles beneath. Amazed and a bit frightened at the work of God’s hand, I stood a respectable distance from the edge (would now be a bad time to mention that I’m terribly afraid of heights?) and tried to take a mental picture. No digital camera could capture the majestic sight with enough detail to inspire such awe – at least none that I could afford.
The sun set and darkness began to fall as we read devotionals and revised scripture on the jutted rock. Soon enough, the stars lit the sky closer than they’ve ever been at Southern, and much, much brighter than they’ve ever been in New York. Eventually, the final devotion was read, that final prayer was said, and it was time to head back to campus. I took one last look at the stars and decided that the journey had been worth it. Catching up with the rest of the group, I tapped one of my friends and said, “I think I know what to write for my blog.”