Slowing down: life in the holler

Lately, I feel like life has been traveling at 150 miles per hour. It’s been hard to keep up with work, doctor’s appointments, church commitments, etc., let alone spend quality time with family and friends. I needed a reset; to find some restorative energy and slow down. What better place to do that then in the holler?

My family’s cabin in Millboro Springs, Virginia, is special. My great grandpa (GGPA) built the cabin back in 1978 and my family has been traveling there ever since. My dad spent weekends there as a kid, my mom first went with my dad in 1988, and I have been going there since I was a newborn. Sugar Hollow is my favorite place in the world. It is filled with good memories.

Mostly, it is quiet there. Life is slower. You are forced to sit still, slow down, and soak in the beauty of God’s creation. As you sit on the porch in the morning sipping your coffee, you get to breathe in the fresh, crisp air of the day, watch the hummingbirds peck at the newly-filled nectar, and watch the sun peak over the dew-filled mountain. Those moments are my favorite. To sit out there before anyone else is up and pray. Read scripture and extend gratitude for all God has provided for me. When I rock back and forth on that porch looking over the mountains, all feels well with the world. It fills my soul.

It’s been eight years since we have visited the cabin. Why? Life got busy, my siblings started having kids, and it was hard to find a weekend we could all go when my dad’s cousin (the owner now) was not bringing his family. In the last eight years, you could say that I’ve grown up. Life is a little more serious than it was before — I fight harder battles and have more stress. I half expected the place to lose the charm it held on me as a kid. Surprisingly, it had the opposite effect. I found a greater respect and love for the little place I have cherished dearly for so many years. From hiking to four wheelers to campfires and playing in the creek, it grounded me and reminded me of the things I love. I remembered how much I loved being off grid; to put the phone and technology away and just soak up time in nature and with my family. Through time in nature and staring at the whistling blue flames of the campfire, I let go of the worry that had encapsulated my heart lately and gave it over to God. I let the fear fall off and felt like I could breathe again.

Over eight years, our family has grown considerably too. My brother-in-law, Dan, had never been to the cabin, nor had my five nieces and nephews (+one on the way). The best part of the trip was watching my nieces and nephews make cherished memories almost identical to the ones I made as a kid. I watched their eyes light up as they built a fire bigger than they had ever seen. I noticed a tenacity in spirit as they worked to build a dam to make the swimming hole deeper. I heard their laughs ring through the mountains as they experienced their first four-wheeler ride. I saw their leaps of joy as they pranced down the railroad track. Their squeamish delight made me so joyful. I can remember each of those feelings as a kid, and I still have them today as an adult in this place. Something about it is magical. This is possibly the only place in the world that I feel true bliss.

I have been going to Millboro Springs for 32 years. I can honestly say that I don’t think anything has truly changed here in that time. Life flies by, but Sugar Hollow stays the same. I change and grow, but GGPA’s cabin has been a constant. It has been a home away from home.

As I travel home, I am thankful for the peace that this weekend brought and the time to reconnect with my family. I am gracious that I have the ability to explore this big, beautiful world. I feel recharged and ready to tackle life again with a more positive attitude. I feel overwhelmingly blessed by the friends and coworkers that God has put in my life lately; people who truly get me and have a similar outlook on life. People who want to pursue holiness. This weekend, I took a step back, and thanked God for all He has given me – it is so much.

If you are feeling a need to slow down lately, I invite you to think over a few things.

1. Is there a place you can go that helps you to slow down or brings nostalgia? Are you able to spend time there to find rest?
2. What are the main sources of your stress? Are they work, money, bills? Is it simply that there never seems to be enough hours in the day? Is it keeping up with chores? Feeling overwhelmed by parenting? Identify these items. What can be adjusted to lessen the stress?
3. What do you need to stop doing to help you to slow down? What areas are excess that can be cut?
4. What do you need to start doing to help you pursue holiness and get you closer to heaven? Where do you need to add value in your life?
5. Write a list of gratitude. Where has the Lord been showing up for you lately? What have been the highs? Consider reviewing and adding to this list every morning to keep perspective.
6. Set aside 20 minutes to pray in silence. Go to the chapel. Find an empty room. Go sit in your car. Find some alone time to sit still and listen to what the Lord is speaking to you right now. He wants to have one-on-one time with JUST YOU today. No kids, spouses, work, etc. Sit still, pray, listen, and breathe in the fresh, crisp air that only God can provide. First, recharge your soul. Next, it’s time to make some adjustments.

“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of the peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:6-9