Musings at Altitude

I just spent 2 days north of the Arctic Circle in a 450 person village in Alaska, where the beauty of God’s creation is all around, where the pace of life is based on the basics of living rather than the expectations of others, and where the typical insanity of business life in the “lower 48” is replaced with companioned walks, long talks, and deep thoughts.  I always come home from these villages with a renewed spirit and a commitment to change my own life, but without exception, after about 24 hours of being back in the business chaos, the lessons I learn in these way-to-few days of peace are lost once again in the frenetic pace of the corporate life I lead.

In many ways these visits remind me of the revivals of my youth, where for a few days straight we focused on our Creator and His Son, and during that week you really felt in harmony with His Word and with His teachings.  But within a couple days of that revival, we (meaning I) returned to my other-focused world and my typically sinful self. 

These trips north are truly a revival for me, reminding me of the importance of the work I do and the wonder of the people I do it for.  The places we go typically don’t have readily available internet connections and the blackberry doesn’t work.  The interruptions are verbal communications with face to face interactions, allowing for an incredible level of understanding and a common commitment to bring resolution to any issue being discussed.  The voices are typically low in volume and measured in pace, and all communications seem to be delivered with love and respect for each other that often times does not exist elsewhere in this country.  The young people in the villages live in a seasonally specific wonderland, and as the days lengthen with the ever approaching midnight sun, the sounds of their activities fill the night with the wonder that this land truly is. 

I stand in awe of those that live in these remote areas because they reflect all that faith and family and culture really mean, and I’m always so grateful of the reminders of what life should be for the rest of us.

I’m once again at peace – at least for this evening.