I love being out in nature.  One of my favorite places to be is near water.  As a child, I lived near the Mississippi River in South St. Louis.  There was a park (Bellerive) my parents would take me too that overlooked the river.  I remember being on the equipment and watching the river flow.  Growing up, it seemed we were always near the river.  My parents would take me to the McDonald’s boat to each lunch from time to time or we would go on the Tom Sawyer boat on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.  There was something about floating along and being part of something big.

As a young adult and living on my own, I would go to the grocery store near my apartment.  The grocery store overlooked a lake.  I recall just being at peace when I would shop and be surrounded by the water.  Water has always been a source of calmness.

Lately, we have been doing lots of hiking at Shaw Nature Reserve.  The boys enjoy taking the trails and walking down to the gravel bar along the Meramec River.  As the boys explore, I sit and watch the water flow and listen to the sounds of the water rippling.  It has been such a good place to ponder, meditate and pray.

As we were walking along the paths today, there was a rock and on it is said “Be Still and Know”  For a moment, I just stood there.  Sometimes all we can do is be still.  As I sat on the gravel bar looking at the different colors and shapes of the rocks, being still was what I needed to do.