2023 Book Review #42: Meditations for the Trail (A Hiking Devotional)

 

I've been reading this devotional book for several weeks now and tend to only read a selection when going on an actual hike in the mountains or the nature preserves around me.  This book is non-fiction, based on Scriptures, and contains little anecdotes and famous quotes by naturalists and well known Christian people. 

SUMMARY OF BOOK

The author holds a PhD in psychology and is also a Lutheran layperson.  He hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains every week. 

The book contains 60 different mini devotionals. Each one has a title pertaining to the point of the anecdote and a Scripture either from the Old Testament or the New Testament.  The author compares the Scripture to various things regarding a hike. After the short anecdotal reading, there is always a quote from people like Corrie Ten Boom, Tim Keller, Martin Luther King, Jr, among others. 

Most of the anecdotal readings have a spiritual significance for the hiker or even just anyone who loves nature. 

MY THOUGHTS

This is a super easy book to slip into your backpack or car and engage with before you start out on a trail. On a couple of trails this summer, I actually hiked to my destination and then pulled out the book to reflect on the Scripture and pray or meditate.

I found that it's so simple but has many profound things in the anecdotes that apply to our physical and our spiritual beings. 

This is not an in-depth study nor does it claim to be.  It's a simple, short devotional for connecting your spiritual health to your physical health/hiking/nature time. 

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 8 and older. 

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10. 

I plan on keeping this book and referring to it in the future for my fitness group as well as my personal hikes or walks in the woods.