Crossing The Finish Line

I expected to see God at the top of Springer Mountain.
I did a 20 mile day from Woody Gap to Springer Mountain, where I crossed the finish line of a 2,176 mile journey. I did many 20 (+) mile days on the trail.
When I got to the top of Springer I had many emotions, but none like I thought I would have.
When I thought about this moment days, weeks, and even months earlier, I pictured an overwhelming joy, tears even as I took those few last steps over to the monument marking the southern terminus of the AT.
But as I walked over to the rock housing the plaque, it felt like the end of any other 20 mile day, the only difference is that I would not have to walk tomorrow. There was no where else to go, there was no more trail, there were no more white blazes to follow. I felt sad, I felt scared, then I felt happy, and excited, because tomorrow I wouldn't have to pack up my house and move it with me to the next spot, then I felt sad again because I wouldn't be seeing a new spot tomorrow.
As my mind jumped around, I realized that the trail never was about a start and a finish, really. You start it and end it everyday.
The trail is about everyday.
Everyday is a new place, a new person, a new chance to engage God in his original creation, the Earth.
I miss walking. I miss the simple happiness that walking can give you. I miss simplicty. I realize that one of Gods gift is just that, simplicity.
Jesus sent out his disciples and instructed them to "Take nothing for the journey - no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic."
I needed nothing more than God and his creation to experience true joy everyday.
But as soon as I got back to what people like to call "the real world" as started being told of all the other things I needed to be joyful. A new car, a big screen TV, even a significant other, so that I could buy her things, so that she would be happy.
To have all this though I would have to quit walking, and start running, I'd need to catch up, I'd have to join in what people like to call "the rat race."
But I realize I already crossed the finish line. I walked across the finish line. My timing was perfect.
But God wasn't there waiting for me like I thought he'd be, because he walked across the finish line with me. He took every step with me. He took every step for me.