Have you ever looked up at the spray of stars in the night sky and felt a sense of wonder at how small our little human lives are in the vastness of the universe? Maybe you felt it standing at the edge of the ocean imagining what lies beyond the horizon. Last week, I found this feeling in the red rock canyons of Moab, Utah. I appreciate the way these wild places speak to my soul, providing much-needed insight and perspective.
It was my first time back since 2017. Somehow, the magic of Moab had faded in my mind. As Stan, my adventure partner, and I drove along Potash Road toward our hike for the day, my face was plastered to the window. I couldn’t tear my eyes from the towering walls of red rock looming high above the blacktop.
The canyons feel alive. In my mind, these rocks are the guardians and sentinels of the otherworldly landscapes around them. Passing beneath their silent gaze, it occurred to me that these monuments of Nature have been standing watch for millions of years. I wonder at all that they’ve seen and what they will witness as they continue to stand guard for millennia to come. I realize that this body of mine will have completely returned to the earth by the time their watch is done.
Wrapped up in our day-to-day lives, we lose sight of the bigger picture. We forget the place humans occupy in the grand scheme of things. We become consumed with completing the next task, reaching the next goal, and getting through one more day.
Every time we open our phones or computers, we’re bombarded with information, distractions, and messages telling us we need to do more, be more, heal more, grow more, and consume more. While we scurry about like chaotic little squirrels, these sentinels of Mother Earth simply sit in silence and watch. I imagine they smile down at us, wondering when we will remember our place in the whole.
Their majestic presence calls us back to the stillness within. These red rock canyons hold the space for us to remember ourselves and our true nature. They stand guard as we find our path through life and remind us of the stable and solid place that we carry within us everywhere we go.
Nothing is lost, only changed, as the landscape constantly shifts, shaped by the elements of wind and water. The canyons do not cling to what has been. They remind us that we can also allow life to unfold without resistance. We can keep our balance through life’s many changes. We do not have to control or force anything in order to remain stable and grounded.
All the heat, pressure, and volatile forces that built these canyon walls gave it strength through the process. Our lives are not so very different. Just as the mighty Colorado River cuts its way through the canyons, our wounds reveal the depth and beauty of our unique layers.
In this place, we see the full cycle of life on glorious display, from creation to destruction. We see how the land was formed and also how it’s constantly being worn down again. Nothing lasts forever. Even though these guardians are in a constant state of transformation, they are grounded and stable.
The red rock canyons have given me a touchstone I can return to when my world feels unsettled and wobbly. I need only remember what it feels like to stand in awe of their majesty to feel grounded again. When I lose sight of the big picture and feel like I’m fumbling in the dark, I remember what it looks like to remain grounded even as the processes of life transform me.
What places feel like this for you? What insights have you received from spending time with Nature?
