Places: set aside with intimacy

I have been looking for and finding holy places that are scattered along our way. Now as many of you know, I believe that the biblical understanding of holy is "set aside." Today I'm sharing with you some of the holy places that have been set aside for intimate, personal and profound connection with God. These can be very intimidating and scary places where you confront terrifying truths. These may also be cozy chapels of comfort and grace where you find God's healing. These may be vast and glorious expanses that God has set out to humble you and show you your personal place in the cosmos. Let me show you what I mean.

While walking along the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon, Ron and I ran into an older couple who were enjoying the view with their cans of wine and camp chairs and the smell of cigar smoke. I asked to take their picture and they let me take a few. Then that spot became holy. This couple had been married in that spot 20 years ago and this was their anniversary celebration. We were sitting in one of the 2 places that people can get married along the Southern Rim. We talked about family and retirement and the difference between hiking and backpackers. Between them they had over 25 weeks of hiking in the Grand canyon alone. They shared how these treks taught them so much about themselves and the world and encouraged us to "get below the rim." We talked about teaching and how things have changed and how reaching each child is so life altering. They told us how the park had changed over the years and how COVID had actually thinned the crowds. They commanded that we take advantage of this gift we had been given. This was a holy place of time travel and beauty, love and timeless adventure.

I saw a woman sitting with perfect posture, gazing out over the canyon. The line of her spine was fluid not rigid and she became part of the sculpture that graces each and every view. In one sense she was very small compared to the grand scheme of things but by becoming part of the sculpture she shared the canyon's epic greatness. When I told her about the picture I took, I was surprised. The picture I had seen was almost formal, yet when I talked to her and her friends I was given the gift of joy and community. I took more pictures as we talked and I hold one picture in my mind alone. It is a picture of the beauty and freedom of spontaneous laughter. I wasn't quick enough to catch my target in the midst of her happiness but I will never forget how the holiness of that space gave her the freedom to simply enjoy and openly share that joy with others.

Sometimes a holy place cradles you in the very hands of God and gifts you with safety and peace. I met a woman who was waiting in the shade for her family. I had talked with her husband and teased and joked with him as Ron and I ran into them along the trail. Her resting spot was on the bough of a tree that overlooked one of the never ending vistas of the canyon. She had found the protection of shade and was simply waiting for her family to catch up with her. Later when I saw her gathered with her family under the tree making plans and recalling adventures, the place became holy.

What inspires me to write, however is a different part of Arizona. Ron and I were on a scouting run. We were checking out spots that we would explore on a later date when the weather was right and we were prepared. One of the places

we were just going to skim over was the Robert Thompson Arboretum. I spotted a plant sale outside the entrance and was excited to start my desert sanctuary with plants from around the world. We decided we would walk the main trail and see what future adventures we could look forward to. I however was quickly side-tracked by the little nooks and crannies and slight side trails that diverted public spaces into private intimate havens. There would be a set of chairs or a bench for sitting in shade and just experiencing the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of this small slice of a greater world. Often these places were created in memory of a loved one. These spaces would feature one grouping of plants or rocks that told a story silently or perhaps a sculpture or art installation would be hidden in this space. The world fell away and a person could simply be. This is a place where your prayers are definitely heard and if you listen they are also answered. It was the intimacy created by these intentional hidden treasures that helped me feel closer to God. I was blessed.

Perhaps we forget or forgo the power of intimate spaces, when we only seek the grand displays of power and design. Please respond to this blog with pictures of the intimate places you have found and share what makes this spot holy.