There are hidden treasures here in Sparta. I recently found one right in Holy Family Church’s backyard (almost). It is the Prairie Restoration Area located by Sparta High School.
I now like to think of it as a Prayer-ie Restoration Area.
I hadn’t seen it that way at first though.
Not long ago I joined a Virtual Ironman charity challenge to exercise 140 miles by October to raise grant money for families adopting 
orphans with special needs. (Don’t be surprised if I put a sign-up sheet in the narthex next spring). My main mode of exercising is walking, but its hard to rack up a lot of miles on foot. At work my main position is sitting all day, so I really needed to get moving to accomplish my goal and get that Virtual Ironman t-shirt – while helping the orphans of course. I had heard about the path that goes up by Sparta High School and back around to the church so I decided to give it a try. According to my Fitbit app the route was exactly one mile – perfect! Each day I would change into my tennis shoes and charge up the long incline from State St. to the top where it turns north toward Orchard Street. Each day I was making better time than the day before and was really focused on getting my mile time down further. As the days went on, something else was changing. Summer was making good time of her own. Right from the start I had noticed the grasses and trees and sky, but I really didn’t have time to spare to take a closer look – not when my PR was on the line. But each day there were new blooms, new birds singing and bugs joining the chorus, the smell of the field was so sweet and the colors of the wildflowers so bright, I couldn’t ignore the beauty any longer. As I slowed to get a closer look at one particular flower, my head was telling me “this is going to ruin your time”, but once I looked at it I felt like it was almost standing there waiting for me to admire it – and that I did.
I now set out on my walk, not with speed or distance in mind, but just the simple goal of being sure to breathe in the grassy field scents, and listen for the brushing sound of the leaves and take note of the newest blooms showing their beauty. It is a peaceful and prayerful place that connects me to the Creator of every flower that has ever bloomed on this Earth.
So leave the Fitbit at home (or on your desk) and take some real time to wander, to breath in, to listen, and enjoy the beauty of a quiet walk.
I’d like to thank our Holy Family parishioner, Sue Blackall, who has been the leader of the Prairie Restoration Area project for many years. Her hard work to obtain grants and hours of hands-on work, along with many other volunteers, has kept that land free to be exactly what it is – a treasure.