The Sweetheart took me to my favorite place on this earth for a few days this past week. If you follow my blog at all you will know I simply cherish the Great Smoky Mountains. I sincerely want to live there. I have been mesmerized by them since I was a child.

I find that the mountains relax me, rejuvenate me and, up that close to heaven, restore me.

Yes, I know I do not have to go to the mountains to be close to God. I know He lives IN me, and I am very grateful. But lately I have needed to get to the mountains. I just had to go.

So we were enjoying a wonderful, restful few days of just taking in the scenery and being with one another. I always try to do everything I can to get “high on that mountain”…well, not in quite the way that country song portrays it, but you get the idea. I like to be up high. I made sure we rented a cabin high in the mountains (more like treacherous if you ask The Sweetheart). I made him ride the Sky Lift up the side of the mountain so I can see it all with my own eyes. I even made him eat a Mexican lunch on a rooftop…just to be up high.

On our way back from one excursion into my mountain resort town, I saw the challenge I had been waiting for; a hot air balloon ride! How could a girl be so lucky?! I began my “little girl” begging, pleading and was trying my best not to whine. (It’s hard sometimes.) Swinging the car around, we go to inspect our adventure. We even sat in the parking lot and watched others go up. All total, they were back down on the ground in ten minutes. Start to finish. Done.

Awesome. “Let’s go!”

“I can’t.” The Sweetheart looks at me with that “you’ve-known-me-for-38-years” look, and I realize this is one adventure he is not going to be the leader on.

The Sweetheart is terrified of heights.

Yes, he rode the Sky Lift, but as he said going up, and coming down, “You are never that far from the ground.” I dutifully remind him if that cable breaks, down will come baby, chair and all! There will be no stopping it as it goes tumbling down the mountain.

But, he could handle that.

With the balloon, on the other hand, (although, much to my chagrin, it is tethered), all he sees is that it goes up 400 feet in the air. As they say on The Price is Right, “That’s too much!” I remind HIM that just last year we were up in the Eiffel Tower and the second landing is only 300 feet in the air! We did not go all the way to the top, which if I remember correctly, is about 900 feet high. It doesn’t matter. He is not going, but will be happy to pay my way.

What a guy.

Much to his surprise, I jumped out of the car and took off for the balloon. I happened to be on the phone with my youngest son who promptly said, “I do not know you any more, Mother.”

It didn’t seem like a risky adventure to me, I just wanted to see the mountains. I had to get higher.

No sooner had I paid my fare than the gate was closed and the “pilot” was telling us to hold on to the railing while we ascended. There was only one other family with me; a mom, dad, and two small children. Emily looked to be about three and one of the most energetic little girls I have seen in a while. She kept her mom and dad busy for the entire ride.

Wyatt was five. I know that for sure because Wyatt became my “buddy”. When the pilot said to hold on to the railing, I looked down and there was Wyatt, standing right beside me, as if we had known each other forever. I assured Mom and Dad he was fine and from then on we were balloon buddies.

What I learned from Wyatt changed my perspective about getting “higher”. He didn’t have any trouble seeing out. He was the perfect height, he could see over the bar so he wasn’t having any issue with getting bored or missing the point of the ride like his sister. As we got higher and higher I kept saying to Wyatt, “Look at the mountains! See that over there! Look at the view, Wyatt!”

And in his southern drawl he would reply, “Yep.” I wanted to make sure he wasn’t missing anything off in the distance.

He wanted to make sure I didn’t miss any of the details.

“See that cat?” Cat? You can see a cat from 400 feet? Sure enough, down on the parking lot below was a calico cat. I could see it too. It was darting in and out of the field. “He’s probably looking for lunch.” I teased Wyatt. “Ewwww.” I continued taking pictures and pointing out the big things. Wyatt says, “See the water in the Titanic?” No. I didn’t even notice the Titanic. Sure didn’t see the water inside on the upper deck.

“Where’s your husband? Do you have one?” I explain about his fear of heights and of my paranoia over closed-in spaces. “So, did he bring you? Is he taking pictures? Can I see him?” Wyatt wasn’t afraid. He didn’t even understand that concept. He lived for the moment, enjoyed everything going on around him.

Fear was not in his vocabulary.

We were ready to start our descent. Unfortunately, that didn’t go so well. The wind had picked up and we were being tossed around in this giant gondola! Our young pilot hollered for us to hold on as he struggled to straighten it back up. We couldn’t go down as long as it was being blown around in the air. (The Sweetheart tells me later he was growing concerned because he was watching all of this from the ground. He could tell how much the pilot was fighting against the wind.)

I was oblivious to all of this. So was Wyatt. Neither one of us were afraid. We were getting to stay up longer than everyone else! Five full minutes longer! (They shut the ride down after us, it was just too windy!) “Where’s your car? Can we see it?”

Wyatt didn’t keep me from seeing the mountains. He showed me that maybe I was missing some other things that were right near to me.

God is “into” the details of our lives. If we aren’t careful we miss the “little things” that He does for us every single day.

We think we need to be a certain place, pray a certain prayer or even give something in return for His mercy and grace. Our undivided attention, our love and our surrender is all that Jesus desires.

In reality, God just wants us.

“So you came up here all by yourself? How come?” I came to see the mountains, Wyatt, I wanted to be up high. But, wow, look at those horses grazing down below!

Between Wyatt and God, I didn’t miss anything.

(Thanks to The Sweetheart for a great day and the video. Even if he did turn his iPad the wrong way!)

 

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