This past weekend I enjoyed a drive to and along the Blue Ridge Parkway, from Afton Mountain south past Sherando Lake for about 30 miles. It's not the most beautiful time to see the mountains, some might argue, because there are no colorful leaves...the carpet of trees display a sea of gray from the exposed bark and branches. My biggest surprise, as I parked the car at a scenic overlook, was the first breath of air I inhaled. It was clean and fresh and somehow seemed to have a different quality than the air from the flatlands. The pristine taste of the mountain air joined the views of the picturesque valleys on either side of the ridge to lift me up. Sometimes you need to go to a higher elevation to find the clear air and to see things from another perspective. But driving the Blue Ridge Parkway requires close attention to every bend and dip in the road itself. It is ironic that a place with such grand scenes from miles away requires strict attention to the road just ahead. There were a few spots where the road tracked right next to the mountain edge and looking out meant looking down from the driver's side. I suppose driving the Blue Ridge is something like our spiritual walk. There are grand views and there is sweet air available but we need to pull off and park at the scenic overlooks if we are going to appreciate them. We tend to stay on the road with attention fixed on the bends and twists right in front of us.
Isaiah 49:11
I will make each of My mountains a road,And My highways shall be elevated.
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