Baltimore Blue Blaze Blessing, Back in Pearisburg Confessing
So after feeling the need to take several days off in a row rather than walking a day then resting a day, last Wednesday (5/20), after only 12.5 miles, I decided to take several days off and spend time “resting.” My rest was in the form of a road trip into Baltimore from Saturday-Tuesday to attend the “This Is Next” conference. 1 hiker friend, 1 camp ministry friend, 3 college friends, 10 church friends, and 1 pastor friend plus 4 Iced-venti Vanilla Breve Starbucks Doubleshots, 1 Chipotle burrito, and a hotel bed were my temporal highlights of being in Baltimore. Jesus’ life, work, death, resurrection, and return were the focus of the weekend. If you don’t know who Jesus is, it would be a great way for you to spend some time getting to know Him by listening to the audio that will be available free from the Resources section of their website. If you do know Him, it would be a great way to spend some time reminding yourself! The teaching was top quality.
So, how does my leg feel? I don’t know. I don’t feel like I’ll know until I get out there today and try some miles. It hurt less and less as the weekend progressed, but it was still noticable after a day of minimal walking.
So, how do I feel about the hike? Well, after the amount of teaching I heard this weekend, I feel like I have a lot of things to process and what better way to do so than in the silence of the woods. But…this is one of those days on the Appalachian Trail that this hiker doesn’t feel like hiking. Could have something to do with the rain, the uncertainty of whether or not my leg is better, how great it was to be around friends all weekend, that I had a ride back to Ohio or Nashville, the uncertainty of good, better, and the best decisions, or how I miss playing piano and being involved in music.
Maybe I tend to be a moodier hiker than everyone else out here. 
Again, I feel like this is relevant material for those of you who would ever consider a long distance hike. You can think of 1,000 reasons why it’s a good idea to attempt a long distance hike. But on the tough days, only a few reasons are enough to tempt you to end the hike.
However, I feel like there is work to be done; work to be done in me through the teaching I’ve heard and continue to carry in my head. And work to be done to fulfill more of the goals of this journey and hike.
So, today, I hike. Thanks again for reading. I probably would have quit a long time ago if it hadn’t been for the kind things and encouragement I receive from y’all!
Back into the woods…
Weird Trail report:
5/22-5/26 Nero’s in Pearisburg and Baltimore. Still had to walk to places like the library, the conference center, meals, Starbucks, etc. But no pack on the back for those walks.
Glad you made it back to the trail. Sometimes you just gotta keep pushing. Keep it up dude.
Comment by crossn81 — May 27, 2009 @ 9:43 am
Bendiciones mi hijo. Rei a tu blog porque de los cafés que tomaste. Que bueno que pasaste buen tiempo en compañía de tus amigos y de Jesús. Espero que tu pierna esté completamente mejor y puedes continuar sin problemas. Te amo mucho.XX
Comment by tu mamá — May 27, 2009 @ 10:45 am
Sometimes I think the down days are just to help us enjoy the up days. I hope that’s the way it works out for you in the coming days and you start the trek again. You’re a stud, dude. You can do it.
As an aside, have you been introduced to Paolo Nutini? I think you’d dig the Italian Scotsman.
Comment by Jess — May 27, 2009 @ 10:51 am
Keep it up! I hope you heal soon!
Comment by Deborah — May 27, 2009 @ 11:55 am
Glad you’re back on the trail!
I’m feeling rather guilty about having your Starbucks Gold card . . . 
Comment by mandy — May 27, 2009 @ 2:46 pm
Chris! This is my first comment, but I have been faithful to read your blogs! I am praying for you – and I am so assured that you are exactly where God intends for you to be. Keep it up, my friend… keep sharing the great love of Jesus and telling the world why it matters! You are adding to the beauty!
p.s. Let’s get you playing again when you get back in N’ville! I’d love to write again!
Acts 20:24
Comment by Meredith — May 27, 2009 @ 8:07 pm
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
I Peter 1:3-8
Thought of this when I read your post. Thanks for persevering! I can relate. I mean not with the hiking and leg… but ya know.
Comment by Amy H — May 28, 2009 @ 8:44 am
Glad to hear you took a little break. You probably needed this for physical healing as well as a mental pick-me up. I’m also glad you didn’t accept the ride back to Ohio or Tennessee. It probably would have been very easy to quit (leg pain and all) but my grandmother used to always say “finish what you start.” I think of these words often and they have probably made me finish more than I might normally would have (not everything though) but you have come so far and you are doing a great job. Just think of the children you will be helping and I’m sure that will get you through the down times. Press on and we’ll talk soon.
Comment by Cheryl Rutherford — May 28, 2009 @ 10:16 pm