David Blanton (Natural Setting)

Thick cloud cover and blowing snow kept my eyes-and my thoughts-from wandering too far away. Rocky precipices marked what would have been a view of the town of Boone, North Carolina as a friend of mine and I hiked along its edge admiring the icicles of a frozen waterfall. We decided to traverse down the mountain a ways to try and find a slope that might be good for some fun-if not safe- sledding, but the hike back up the a steep slope made slick by snow and ice undermined any delight we experienced sliding down the mountain. Back along the ridge we crawled through some mountain laurel, moving further and further away from the cabin we were staying in. Suddenly we came into a clearing and saw a small wooden cross standing in its center-a hidden cathedral. My friend told me that the wife of the man who had owned the mountain had erected this cross after he passed away from cancer several years ago. The sense of peace and serenity established by her labor and prayers were evidenced by our own safety from the wind and driving snow. I simultaneously felt like I was observing and participating in her personal experience. The tight-knit clearing focused all of my senses in the present moment while the knowledge of her loss kept me at a respectful distance of her intimate sense of mourning, yet comfort found in Christ. It was a powerful, though brief experience, on that I will not soon forget.