Silver Comet Trail – Mavell Road

I hurt! It all started with last night’s weather report. I had planned a trip to the area near Cloudland Canyon, but with the uncertainty in the weather report, especially in that area, I decided not to risk it. I have always been curious about the Silver Comet trail, a paved multi-use trail that runs from Eastern Cobb County to the Alabama line. While I dislike paved trails and usually pay the price in leg soreness, I decided to go for it.

The Silver Comet trail runs along an abandoned railroad track bed. It gets its name from the Silver Comet luxury passenger train which ran from Birmingham to New York, with a spur to the Atlanta airport. Its first run was in 1947, and it succumbed to the increased use of air transportation in 1969. The Georgia DOT bought the right of way for a possible commuter rail system, but permitted the construction of the trail in the interim. It runs for a total of 60 miles, except for a 2 mile segment which is pending completion of a major road widening.

I began at Mavell Road, which is official mile 0 (a connector runs back to Cobb Parkway). While this kind of trail can be a bit monotonous, sometimes beauty is where you find it. There were a number of good views from old trestles, a close-up view of a hawk of some variety, restored ruins of some structure, and a visit to the old depot, which is now occupied by a bike shop.

Despite the weather, I had plenty of company, although not as many folks as would normally be on this section (in good weather, this section can be packed). There was actually some race just finishing as I arrived. The wind chill was a bit uncomfortable to start, but I warmed up quickly.

I prayed at the beginning for God’s guidance, as I always try to do on a long hike. I was not however expecting the in-your face answer I got. My mind quickly turned to work, and I once again examined my role there in light of the many problems we fact. In the early part of CMI’s chapter 11, my company is seems has become a controversy in itself (long story). I began thinking about whether God really wanted me there, and to be honest, was kind of hoping for a message that I should leave. Instead, almost the minute I began to think about it, a song popped into my head. It was not a song on a CD I own, a favorite, or even one I have heard many times. The words resonated in my brain however (Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns):

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Wow, that seemed like a pretty clear answer. I am definitely facing the largest giants ever at work these days. The words "this is for my glory" kept repeating over and over. I hesitate to draw too much significance from a song popping in my head, but it would be uncannily reinforced at lunch.

I went approximately 8.3 miles in, and then turned around. The return was very difficult. Because of the repetitive nature of walking on a hard surface, the back of my knees and my shins became extremely sore. I am now walking like an 80 year old. Someone remind me to never do long hikes on a paved trail again!

I sought out Sweet Tomato for lunch, needing a serious carb fix. I opened my current book Waking the Dead by John Eldridge, and found that the bookmark had come out. I flipped through trying to find the place I left off a week ago. I finally found a spot that looked familiar, and began reading. The second page had a quote from a literary work (whose name escapes me for the moment) which was a story similar to David and Goliath (note the song excerpt), and then launched into a serious section about spiritual warfare. I had never considered our problems at work from this perspective, but nobody would dispute the fact that CMI has furthered God’s kingdom (as one caller in particular reminded us this week). There would be over 300 churches not where they are today without CMI. It became pretty clear that Satan would be pleased by its failure. This casts my work issues in a whole new light, and will seriously redirect my prayer efforts and leadership.

Two morals today:

1) Don’t hike more than 10 miles on a hard surface.
2) When you sincerely ask God to speak, don’t be surprised when you get an answer!