Acknowledge Him Along the Way
Gator Creek Reserve | Lakeland Chapter | August 15, 2026
Today, Heavenward Hikes was just Kim and me, walking 3.4 miles through Gator Creek Reserve in North Lakeland. A little over an hour on the trail, surrounded by God's creation, making space to listen, notice, talk, and acknowledge Him along the way.
Trail Verse
“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Proverbs 3:6 KJV
I chose Proverbs 3:6 because over the past couple of weeks, I have felt God reminding me again and again of the importance of acknowledging Him in everything I do and even in the way I think. The more intentionally I bring Him into every part of my life, the closer I grow to Him and the more I want of Him.
In a world where we will inevitably face difficult seasons, uncertainty, distractions, hard work and things we simply don't understand, staying close to God is essential. We may not always know what lies ahead, but we can acknowledge Him right where we are and trust Him to direct our path.
What made today's verse even more special was what Kim shared with me.
Throughout the past week, Proverbs 3:5 had already been on her heart:
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
Proverbs 3:5 KJV
Then she came to our hike and discovered that today's Trail Verse was the very next verse, Proverbs 3:6.
For Kim, it felt like confirmation of what God had already been speaking to her. First, trust Him instead of relying only on what you can understand. Then acknowledge Him in all your ways and allow Him to direct your path.
It was beautiful to see how God had been speaking to us individually and then brought those messages together on the trail.
Noticing Him Along the Way
Gator Creek gave us plenty of little reasons to slow down and pay attention.
The grass was still wet beneath our feet, but thankfully not too wet. The morning air was humid. We listened to birds calling from the trees and the sounds of crickets and grasshoppers around us. Fresh mushrooms had appeared along the trail, and tiny drops of water rested on blades of grass.
When the sunlight hit those droplets, they sparkled.
Such a small detail, and yet so beautiful.
These are the kinds of things we can easily walk right past when we're in a hurry. But today we had a reason to notice them.
To listen.
To look.
To acknowledge Him.
To see the Creator through His creation.
We talked as we walked, enjoyed the trail, and before we knew it, we had covered 3.4 miles in a little over an hour.
Somewhere along those miles, we also talked about Heavenward Hikes itself.
Right now, it's just us.
And that's okay.
We believe God will bring more women to these hikes in His timing. We don't know exactly how this community will grow or what He will do with it, but we're already content knowing that it belongs to Him.
In a way, that conversation brought us right back to our Trail Verse.
We don't have to figure out the entire path ahead.
We simply have to acknowledge Him and allow Him to direct it.
And if today was only two women walking a trail together, making room for God, then that was more than enough.
There was also one sweet and fun little milestone to remember from today. I had Heavenward Hikes stickers made, and Kim very intentionally turned them into bumper stickers! When she showed me the sticker on the back of her car, I got so excited and honestly a little emotional. What a great idea! Seeing Heavenward Hikes there felt so special. So now, both of our cars and her husband’s 4×4 officially have a Heavenward Hikes sticker. ❤️
It may be something small, but it feels like a special little reminder of the beginning.
Two friends.
One trail.
God leading the way.
And a couple of Heavenward Hikes bumper stickers now traveling around Lakeland. ❤️
We don't know exactly where this path will lead, but that's okay.
We know Who is directing it.
Walk His Creation. Discover His Truth.
