I am currently taking a mini-vacation with my family in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It has been three days of shopping, hiking and chilling at the cabin; but unfortunately, I must go back home to the real world tomorrow. :( I must return and make sure my little ones aren't driving my roomy too crazy. ;)
This morning we took a drive into the Smoky Mountain National Park and drove the scenic loop of Cades Cove. It is my favorite drive in the park and for those of you who have not been there it is a gorgeous valley nestled between rows of mountains with fields that are just calling to filled with horses! (There actually is some as there's trail riding offered.) It also calls out to avid outdoor horse women like me as the perfect spot to build a log cabin and a barn. :)
In the late 1700s into the early 1800s Cades Cove was settled by Indians and early settlers. Some of the old cabins, barns, and churches remain. They utilized the fields for crops and lived a simple life with hard work and seclusion. As we were driving through this morning I could find myself picturing the little cabins dotting the landscape and the fields being cultivated and tended with the help of horsepower...and I mean REAL horsepower! Back then horses were mainly used for work, helping on the farm, and taking people to where they wanted to go. It is a far cry from what most horses are used for today but some people still hold on to the tradition of the original horsepower.
However, as I view the gorgeous landscape I am strangely drawn to what I simple life it was. Hard no doubt, but peaceful, full of purpose and drive. These people alongside their trusty four-hooved companions worked for a better life and a brighter future. What a life in such a beautiful place. I think if we could ponder at the grit and strength of those people it could change the way we view our lives today. And just maybe because of it we will find ways with our horses to continue to work towards a brighter future ahead.
"And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you," 1 Thessalonians 4:11 ESV
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