A Leap Of Faith

Have you ever wondered about the concept of faith as a vehicle for transportation? Margaret Sherpard, a well-known calligrapher and author, once said, “Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.” I copied the quote on one of my little yellow Post-Its and stuck it onto my refrigerator door. Every time I passed by it, I’d read the quote, mulling over the idea of a leap of faith as a form of transportation. Webster’s New Collegiate Thesaurus defines faith as a “confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing; a belief not based on logical proof or material evidence.” I thought about the idea of the necessity to take a leap of faith not based on logic, but rather on something more ethereal and spirit-like. It has been my experience that if people were to follow their inner knowing, that inner voice that tells them what to do, even when it doesn’t seem logical, they are in a sense traveling, using faith as their vehicle of transport. It occurred to me, that if a person were to find themselves in a situation that wasn’t working for them, a place that made them feel like they had regrets, and they’d lost their sense of gratitude, that that might be the perfect time to take a leap of faith as a transport to a place of possitivity. I believe that what a person thinks is what they create. If we look at a situation negatively, it is bound to become negative. But, if we made an extra effort to view that situation from a positive place, a difficult place to be sometimes, the situation would become positive. It’s all about training your mind to think positive thoughts and to live in gratitude. Keeping spirits high for many people is constant work. Our thoughts and actions can lift our spirits and the environment we’re in. I’m convinced that being proactive, persevering, and never giving up, are necessary ingredients to the success of this form of transportation. The trick, I’ve found, is to take a break when you’re feeling overwhelmed, and get yourself outside and into nature. Soaking in the wonders of the mystical world of nature is like soaking in magic for the soul. Take a walk and open your eyes. See the world like a hawk, hear the world like an owl, smell and feel the wonder and magic inherent in the world of nature. We’re going into an orange period; the fall’s flaming leaves, a spectacular festival of colors. The fall migration has begun for the monarch butterflies, for the birds that commute, and for the migratory species of dragonflies. Are we not all spirits of nature? Humans have made living very complicated. Being aware of the beauty of the world of nature is like being at one with the universe. To be a part of the outdoors, to be in touch with the sun, the wind, and the rain, is to enter this world of magic, the world where “leap of faith transports” are readily available. The week before school started, my husband, Jack, and I took our two grandchildren, Aidan and Sarah, to hike and canoe in the Adirondack wilderness. We canoed Floodwood Pond and explored a deserted island where Sarah successfully, after many frustrating tries, built a fire with a flint and stone; we then roasted marshmallows for S’mores. They were awesome! We practiced using a compass, a good thing to know for wilderness hiking. The four of us explored the trails of the High Gorge and climbed the steep, rocky trail to the summit of Whiteface Mountain, its elevation being four thousand eight hundred and fifty-six feet. As the wind whipped about us, the air crisp and cold, we got to experience the breathtaking, panoramic views from the summit of one of the famous 46 High Peaks. When your world seems out of sorts, take that leap of faith. It’s the only thing that makes any sense in a world that prides itself on logic. It’s a remarkable and safe transport for those rare occasions when you need to journey from one place to another. There are no worries involved with lodging or reservations or food, only the idea that we trust our sixth sense, our gut feeling connected to spirit, in order to make that leap. It’s an adventurous way to travel, don’t you think?

Visitors from Canada took this picture of us. We were standing on the bridge that led us into the trails of the High Gorge. The Ausable River, a well-known river for trout fishing, is flowing under the bridge, heading toward the coast.Here we are on the top of Whiteface Mountain. The wind was kicking up a storm that day. There was so much energy in the air. It was awesome!

These are shots from the deserted island we canoed to in Floodwood Pond. Sarah finally got the spark that ignited our fire. What a blast!