Finding Calm

Posted byGary FultzPosted inabundant life, accomplishment, adventure, Adventure story, Boundary Water trips, Boundary Waters, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness photos, Build Faith, BWCAW, camping, canoeing, canoeing adventure, communion with God, devotional thoughts, discipline, dreamer, eternal, Faith, Fishing, friends, Gary Fultz, Gary Fultz Blog, God in Nature, gone fishing, Inner Peace, intentional, Jesus Christ, Know God, knowing God, most imortant relationship, Nature, Nature and Inner Peace, nature pictures, Northern Pike, outdoor adventure, outdoor scenery, outdoor spiritual truths, Peace, perspective, Photography, purpose in life, purpose of life, quality of life, relationship building, relationship with God, solitude, spiritual adventure, spiritual concepts, Spiritual Perspective, story teller, story telling., Swans, victorious living, walk with God, wilderness adventureTags:, , , , , , , , , ,

Our little wilderness group found something rare on a huge lake. Calm. Perfectly still water. I have never seen this lake calm. This lake always wants to eat canoes. Usually when navigating these waters we are focused on the next wave, one wave at a time and no time to look around and actually see. A lot like life I’m thinking as I had never taken the time to really see what that big lake looked like. My brother commented that he may have normally seen two bald eagles while fighting the waves, instead he saw 8 bald eagles. Sorry, my camera was out of batteries. Sigh. It’s a good thing my memory still has battery life.

We moved our paddles as silently as we could, enjoying the reflections, commenting in low voices. Bald eagles soared and some watched from high perch. Ducks, geese and swans paddled silently as others flew by. Fish chased in the shallows of islands and narrows as we paddled by. We were leaving this pristine wilderness through some sort of vortex for the cacophony we call reality.

I wondered how many have a place of calm in their lives. To be at peace deep within is worth seeking. To have a place of calm in life’s space, a must. To have relationships calm from the surface to the deep, a wonderful-intentionally-cultivated gift coming from the calm within. The calm within must have a source bigger than anything life can throw at us.

My prayer when I experienced this calm in the wilderness on one of the wildest lakes I have navigated many times: “Thank you Jesus for this inner peace you have given to the wild wilderness within me…amen”

Here are some other peaceful pictures for the soul. Click to enlarge and forward.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (Jesus to his disciples…and us John 14:27)

Nature gives so much to reflect on about life in so many ways. I’m always amazed.

Gary

Much more to come later…Yes, there were big fish!

Published by Gary Fultz

Outdoors Man, Hunter, Fisherman, Guide, Writer / Author, Photographer, Public Speaker, Musician, Song Writer, Story Teller, Follower Of Jesus. Love God and family and total strangers

111 thoughts on “Finding Calm”

  1. Beautiful photos. I can imagine the calm from the tranquil photos. Yes His peace is beyond compare.
    What a remarkable coincidence of sorts today, Gary. I was on Unsplash and saw the first photo in this post (the two in the boat on the water) in your Unsplash collection.
    That was Before, I saw this post. How serendipitous is that!!!

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    1. Oh, that’s fun Suzette. I often wonder if I should put the same pictures on my blog, but then people ask if they can use the pictures on the blog….(the answer is always “yes” but, they are a larger size and clearer from unsplash.

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    1. Wonderful Ellie. Thankyou. You would have really enjoyed a canoeing experience in that calm. I did leave out some details about the size of a bunch of mosquitos, but they were mostly on the shores and in the portages between lakes

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    1. Slaps head…I should not have mentioned mosquitoes Nancy. I should add that there was a large dragonfly hatch happening which would take care of a large portion of mosquitoes…does that help??

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      1. Actually, that’s a good joke and I forgot about the frog population in the swampy wilderness. But, still, if you’re a tall juicy person walking around in the wilderness, you’re a much bigger target!

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  5. Stunning. I have seen the North Atlantic like that in winter, Gary – but only once! I guess you could have spent the whole day just soaking in the calm. Apart from any intervention from the mossies.

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    1. It is amazing when it happens David. I can only imagine an ocean of calm as far as the eye can see. Yes, I’m afraid bugs venture further out from shore on those days. It would have been fun to stay longer.

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  8. Gary, you inspire me. “The calm within must have a source bigger than anything life can throw at us.” I feel the peace you had on this lake. Your beautiful prayer, the peace inside …what a beautiful blessed time in creation~HIS wilderness. I’m so glad to see you and read your words. Not a day hardly goes by I don’t say the name of the Fultz Family when speaking to our Heavenly Father. Your exactly where I feel HIS presence so deep. Its more than amazing when we can manifest this peace from our memories, too. Take care and stay blessed out there. 🙏🏻💚

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      1. After reading comments, and knowing your situation, I prayed just that! Oh, Gary. You’re just TOO loved 🤪 I remember how big the skeeters were in Alaska. I prayed and had a lot of questions for God 😁🙏🏻

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  11. Yes, the photos are beautiful, and the commentary filled with much wisdom—as always.

    Finding, and staying in, a place of inner calm can be tricky. Life is too unpredictable. However, it helps me to realize the deepest calm isn’t coming from only me.
    I practiced mindfulness meditation for awhile, during the pandemic, but discovered looking within doesn’t have eternal value if one isn’t looking for God. I hope that makes sense.

    I love reading about your wilderness adventures, Gary!

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    1. That makes a lot of sense David. Whole-hearted agree. I am glad the readers here, people like you add the important details in comment. The wilderness in all of it’s roughness, I believe, rubs against eternity in so many ways.

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  15. “The calm within must have a source bigger than anything life can throw at us. If that were Scripture, it would be one of my new favorite verses Gary . . . I Fultz 1:1 😊

    Spectacular pics! Is that ‘oversized minnow’ a lake trout? Wish I were there brother . . . throw me a paddle! You realize you’re guilty of sparking envy within me 😊

    I’d say enjoy, but that would be a gross understatement 😊

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    1. Lol Fred. It is a true statement though.
      And, no. that is actually about an 8 pound northern pike. It had a wide back but was only 30 inches (aprox). The nearest lake trout lake was 10 miles and several mean portages away. If the weather had been cooler we might have been over there. We opted for some walleye waters instead. I could see you in a canoe and on the portage trail. I have lighter canoes as I get older.

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      1. So glad your ‘ole bod’ is still able to endure all these ‘hardships’ you so willing subject yourself to Gary 😄
        Needless to say, I’m extremely envious!!!
        Be Blessed brother . . . and . . . as an unneeded reminder . . . YOU ARE !!!

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    2. Dare I say that I hope you’re enjoying some Swiss chard when you’re not busy on the lake? 😂🤣 I’ve often wondered how you are it as a kid since you said you didn’t love it. Yes, these are actually thoughts I have when someone says they don’t love a particular vegetable.

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      1. Some how in all the years raising a small garden, swiss chard has not made it into the garden. I also have not seen it at the farmers market or the little grocery store in our nearest small town with one stop light 15 miles away. Maybe it’s not a northern Mn thing? My mom tried it in her garden just once…my only recollection.

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  17. ~ awed sigh ~ w-o-o-w
    “To be at peace deep within is worth seeking. … The calm within must have a source bigger than anything life can throw at us”
    It is worth seeking, and I do exactly that every morning. Jesus always meets me there.

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    1. Thankyou Manette. The wilderness, except for the weather, does most things slowly. Humans do not fit in with their life style, so we tend to be more like the weather than the wilderness. I had to wait for calm “weather moments” to depict the wilderness as calm to us.
      I suppose it’s natural for us to show God we are excited about Him on Sunday mornings with good music and so on as we need the right weather.

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  21. Thanks for sharing your lake adventures with us Gary. My alone times are early mornings, no further away than our living room. But without that hour or two of quiet, the day ahead simply fills with busyness without a single moment when, with a good battery or not, I could take a single snapshot of calm.

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    1. So true Pete. When I look at those who seem to have a great relationship with God and they manage their days and relationships well, the common ground seems to be meeting with God early in the calm of the morning before life’s winds pick up and the gusts blow them around.

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  23. Beautiful, Gary.

    I love that even a canoe eating lake has a soft side. 😍(Reminds me of a board chair I once worked with.)
    I also love this:
    “The calm within must have a source bigger than anything life can throw at us.”
    (Too bad I didn’t have those words taped to my computer back then.)😉

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    1. LOL deb, I also had a board chair that way with an extremely tiny soft side. It’s possible someone said that about me when I was a board chair…just thinking back on the names I have been called as a boss, board chair, so on.

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  24. Wow!! Those are some wonderful pictures, gives a feeling of calm and like I’m right there for the adventure!!

    …serious question..will the cabin be listed on Airbnb sometime this summer? ..my wheels are turning…

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  25. Thanks Alicia. It really was a nice 6 day adventure several lakes and some portages into the wilderness.
    As for the cabin, We will let people use it, donation only. It will be for family and friends and sometimes friends of friends. You would be considered a friend.
    My wife and I will also use it. I will use it as a writers cabin. We get wi-fi signal there.
    So, let the wheels turn. I’ve read your blog enough to know you have common sense and look for an adventure now and then. Itasca state park is nearby where you can walk on the rocks across the headwaters of the Mississippi river, bike trails, many lakes and all kinds of camping there as well.

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  27. Incredible! The verse “Be still and know that I am God” came to mind as I looked at your opening picture and read your post. Only God could take a canoe eating lake and transform it into a calm mirror. A mirror of calmness I should have in my own life reflecting His power, glory, and presence.

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    1. So true Donna. In a canoe, which goes slow at top speed, the waves can go from calm to very angry within a short period of time. Going across the middle of a big lake is often a bad idea. The older I get the more I hug shorelines. There is a spiritual application there…somewhere. I know Jesus walked on the water but I seem to need very shallow water, if not the land.

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  31. Gorgeous, serene pics Gary! When I read this, “Thank you Jesus for this inner peace you have given to the wild wilderness within me…amen” I immediately thought of the scene from “The Chosen” (not sure if you’re familiar with the series). But seeing it on the screen, how Peter was battling those wild waves and all it took was one touch from Jesus to encounter calm. A calm heart. A calm mind. A calm soul. Nothing better!

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    1. Thanks Stephanie. The calm was remarkable on the lake. I also know the feeling of God’s calm overtaking this restless heart of mine. I wish I could say it stays…sigh
      It does take a “grab on” from our Jesus as those storms are so much bigger than us.

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  32. Hey, that was so well written. I liked the description of the lake, eating canoes. In a world that is so unusually normal it is great to realize we have a king who cares about us and desires what is best for us! I just bought a Tshirt that says normal is not coming back,….but Jesus is

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    1. That sounds like a frustrating book…probably good for me as well.
      Going from my big boat to a canoe a couple times a year is quite a contrast. Not ready to go from my truck to a horse yet though.

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  34. Pingback: Happy Father’s Day – Jesusluvsall's Blog

  35. Calm without (in our surroundings) certainly fosters the calm within that we crave. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons God included so much beauty in his creation. One glimpse and we already feel refreshment surging into our spirits. ‘Love the swans, especially with one dipping downward for dinner. Such regal birds–even upside down!

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    1. So true Nancy. Many people comment after these trips that it takes 4-5 days to feel that calm inside. The crazy part is that it happens even when the weather is not calm. The whole experience of the wilderness tends to nibble it’s way into our core…conversations go deeper as the trip continues. It just seems natural. I do not remember any trip (in 68 trips there) where God is not mentioned a lot. It’s also natural.

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  37. That it is Nancy if one likes roughing it a bit in exchange for some amazing wild beauty, bugs, wildlife and some risk to the elements. It does help to have someone who can put together a meal plan and cook it over an open fire or small backpackers stove. There is not much room for error in fast currents, high waves or steep rocky portages. All very much worth it if one is healthy and somewhat physically fit. I plan the level of travel in my trips to allow the weakest most vulnerable person in the group a challenging but somewhat safe experience (although some in the past would disagree with that last statement)

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  38. Pingback: Divine Appointments with My Book-Jesus Understands Trauma – Jesusluvsall's Blog

    1. It is a special blessing Kim. My summer has been anything but calm so I appreciate it so much more when it comes. I do not know what people do who do not have God’s peace inside. That’s the calm in the storms of life that hold me together.

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  41. Hi Gary. Hope all is well. I know you are very busy but I thought you may want to know I am posting a new article tomorrow. Enjoy the unfrozen great outdoors. (Wish we could build a pipeline from your winter to my present though I’m not sure it would survive long down here.) Blessings

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    1. Thanks Jennifer
      there are times when I wish I could freeze moments in time because they are so good. Everything good seems to come together. It’s good to recognize how God get’s our attention in those moments as if to say “pay attention to the (wind like) direction My spirit is leading.

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      1. Yesss, I so get that! How precious it is to lean into His wind in those moments, to hear His whisper and drink it in with all the depths of our spirits. He is so, so kind.

        (Slow reply because we are in summer missions team season) 🙂

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    1. We do see a lot of eagles and hawks in the canoe area wilderness. There seems to be at least one pair or more per lake. Long ago I started taking the camera on our trips so people would believe our stories.
      I see your blog has some great photos. You have an eye for photos and an ear for music

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    1. Thanks Ellen. I am just happy when photos and writing seem to say the same thing to someone reading a post. I do not post a lot but try to share what might benefit those around me. In that way it will probably benefit many others…hopefully.

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