Do you have a favourite outdoor spot where you go to pray, or meditate ?
I like to climb a hill in our village, called White Rock.
For years I’ve come to this peaceful place, when circumstances seem discouraging, or overwhelming.
I climb more slowly, and much more carefully these days, since I am in the 7th decade of life.
However, when I reach the top of the hill, I have a new perspective, and, for a while, I forget about current global circumstances.
It is impossible to fully understand God, since his thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and his ways are higher than our ways.
(Isaiah 55:8-9)
J.I. Packer reminds us that it is not helpful for us to try to pry into God’s secrets.
I must accept the fact that God owes me no explanation for why He does what He does.
Spending some quiet time on top of the hill helps me to better understand these truths, and helps my faith to grow.
I descend the hill as slowly and as carefully as climbed up.
At the bottom, my leg muscles are tired, but I feel peaceful and encouraged.
I am once again able to pray sincerely, ‘thy will be done’, rather than
‘my will be done’…
Pictured is the view from the top of White Rock, in November.

A good place for “divine perspective.”
“He makes my feet like hind’s feet and causes me to walk on my high places.” (Habakkuk 3:19) ๐
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Thanks so much for this comment, and for the reminder from Habakkuk. ๐คโ
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Beautiful.
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Thanks, Carole. ๐คโ
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Beautiful
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Thanks, Barb. ๐ค
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It is valuable to have a place to go for prayer. Outdoors is great, the ceiling is much higher for starters. I usually make do with wherever I can find lately. But my woodland walk up Formonthills near my house is a great place to listen to God. I understand the physical aches of these walks, but my spirit is skipping for joy afterwards. I need to pray for some good weather now!
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Thanks, Alan. ๐ค๐ผ
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I am happy that you enjoy plants. I enjoy them too. ๐ทโ๐ผ
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I love this post. It is so important to be okay with what God knows to be best. Great reminder!๐โค
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Itโs special to climb to high places and stay there a while. Iโve had such places where Iโve lived in the past. My own special place now is just next to my house, with the view over the green hills and farmlands. Every time I see it I thank God for the blessing to be able to live here in this spot, and for everything else we have that is good.
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I love J. I. Packer’s writings but was unfamiliar with the statement: “It is not helpful for us to try to pry into Godโs secrets. I must accept the fact that God owes me no explanation for why He does what He does.”
That is so true, and I find it very helpful ….
Your posts are such an encouragement. Thanks for sharing this Sally.
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Thank you Sally. What a great post. What a great place. High places have a more distant perspective which allows one to escape otherwise imposed limits. It is obviously best for the time you describe to also be alone. We expand our thinking and our spiritual awareness. The fog dissipates. Answers come easier. We can better access the Lordโs wavelength.
And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time. [Mark 1:35]
But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. [Luke 5:16]
Blessings to you.
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Lovely view! ๐
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A beautiful view and it sounds wonderful to have a place to sit and have some quiet time with God and realign our hearts to Him.
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They will be done.. so hard to say it and mean it.
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Perspective is so important! I just came in from watching the Leonid meteor showers. I was thinking how God is still working; we have to be watching carefully and focused on the right spot to even get a quick glimpse of the meteors, and the sky is so vast that we still miss many of them. In an even greater manner, God is so vast that if we are focused on Him, we may get little glimpses of what He’s doing, but we will still miss a lot.
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How beautiful to see this. Yes, God works in ways we cannot see, but we have seen his goodness and faithfulness, and so our faith continues to grow. ๐ค๐ท
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Amen! ๐ค๐น
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That is beautiful. I would love to have such walks too sometime. ๐
Being able to see from a higher view of all that we have around us spurs us to see God’s amazing self in a greater way. ๐
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Such a wonderful view from your hill Sally and it would be a great place for prayer. In summer I like to go down by the river for some quiet time and prayer. In winter months I must stay indoors however.๐๐บ๐
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Thanks, Steve. It is nice to have a special place for quiet time and prayer.
I have been to Kenora.
It is beautiful there. ๐คโ
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Yes, it is a beautiful spot here, even in winter, but I prefer summer.๐๐น๐ณ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ
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Me too. โ๐ท
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I pray and meditate during my morning, evening and weekend runs. I usually tell people, I live on two drugs, my runs and the word of God. I am proud of you for climbing a mountain in your 70’s
I am once again able to pray sincerely, โthy will be doneโ, rather than โmy will be doneโโฆTHIS ONE HIT DIFFRENTLY because for me during my hard times, I find myself pushing my will to be done and not God’s will. This is so powerful
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Hi Cynthia ! Thanks for your kind comments. Yes, I have many times prayed ‘my will be done’ only to find out that God’s will is always much better than my own.
It has taken me many years to realize this truth. ๐ผ๐ค
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Sorry for that Sally. I am glad you know the Truth๐คฉ
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