Canyons, Rocks and A Chapel!

And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock,
and on this rock foundation I will build my church,
and not even death will ever be able to overcome it.

—Matthew 16:18 [GNT]

We took a trip on FR 151 that takes us to the Monastery of Christ of the Desert, run by the Benedictine monks. The 15 miles back in wound through incredible rock formations of red, yellow, dark granite–it was a “potluck” for the eyes! The weather was touchy, but that just made the cloud backgrounds more interesting for pictures. As we wound around the Wild and Untamed Rio Chama River, each corner gave us something new to see. River runners, some with outfitters, others with their own good skill-set in canoes or kayaks made their way down the raging river. We cheered them on.

At mile 15 we were greeted with the word PEACE as we made it to the monastery. There was a Mass going on so we gently looked around, took some pictures, and decided to return on another Sunday to join the monks in worship. It got me thinking that all the way in God was showing us His handiwork from the skies above to the rocks below. The stunning creativity that you couldn’t get enough of–and that’s just who our God is – always giving, always loving and His goodness never runs out. As I took a picture of the beautiful monastery that blended right in with the mountain ridges around us, the presence of God was heavy, the winds of the Holy Spirit were singing, “I am here always.” The sign with PEACE was spot-on, a place of welcoming peace and acceptance for all.