As a means of preparing for a ministry through coaching a wonderful friend and mentor suggested that I pray often, asking God for instructions and carry them out without fail. So, yesterday morning, God said - “Go the parkâ€. Huh? I thought, OK, but there is much that I need to get done today but off to the State park I went early yesterday. The night before I finished my prayers with a prayer for my peace.
On the drive over I thought about how long it had been since I had actually tromped through the woods alone. About half way to where I had planned to park there were several deer just hanging out on the side of the road. I slowed down and then stopped, mesmerized by the look and almost eerie behavior of this one deer as if he was saying - oh it’s you, we’ve been expecting you. I’m not sure how long I stood there and eventually along came a family that was biking and making noise and when I turned back around the deer were gone.
I started walking in the direction of the lake through the area marked - This Area is Closed. You always find the best, thickest woods and brush behind those signs and I was not disappointed. I emerged onto a cleared path and the lake where there were 30 or 40 turtles just enjoying the sun. I could hear the sound of a bullfrog off in the distance which mixed in with the birds washed over me like the music of God’s symphony. Along the way it hit me - the scent of honeysuckle. I had not smelled this scent for so very long. My grandmother used to have honeysuckle on the side of her house and I could remember her so clearly. She always collected the rain water over by the honeysuckle bushes. She said the rainwater was better to wash her hair and she had such beautiful long hair.
As I made my way around the lake the silence in the midst of nature’s noises felt such like peace. After a few side detours over into other closed areas (have I mentioned the best areas are always closed off?) I made my way back to the lake and down into this wonderful sunken alcove while keeping an eye out for the alligators that I was not to feed. The sun felt just glorious and as I stared off into the lake in my own little secret haven I noticed the bees doing their God appointed job of pollinating flowers and it all seemed so very perfect without any help from technology or man. There was a huge tree at the entrance to this alcove and I could not help but to think that inevitably, eventually, life’s partner, death, comes to us all. And then on an otherwise very calm day, came the wind. It seemed to follow a path directly up this alcove and wash over me as though if to be a caressing touch from the hand of God. I could not move and I did not want to move. There I found my peace, my solitude and awe for such wonder as God has given to us all.
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you”
John 15:7
And then as if to signal the end of today’s journey, I became aware of a truck in the far distance and yes it was time to leave. On the way out I met two people and shared with them why I was there and what I had found. And as my foot stepped back onto the pavement the tears came in waves and I thanked God for returning to me all of my feeling.
As Blaise Pascal said, “The cure for too much to do is solitude and silence, for there you find that you are safely more than what you do”.
So, my friends, my peace, I now give to you