On Saturday, Oct 15, I jumped out of bed before daylight, fed the dogs, etc, and then jumped into my trusty PT Cruiser and headed north, still pre-daylight.
Now, I'm not a pre-daylight kind of gal...but when heading to the town of Helen GA in October, it's best if you get there before the crowds from the city. So by 815, I was on the outskirts of Helen, looking for a place to eat breakfast.
Bacon, eggs, grits, toast, and fantastic coffee were served up to me for a ridiculously low price in a local feeding place that reminded me of my Grandma's kitchen, and I was back enroute to my final destination: Anna Ruby Falls. My attempts to get there earlier than the weekend crowd paid off -- I was car number seven in the parking lot, I think.
Most of the following was written on that day, sitting on a stone bench beside the trail leading to the falls. All the photographs were taken then (as ever, click them to embiggen).
My goals for the day were fall color, and peace.
As you can see by the above photo, fall color wasn't quite there yet. LOL
Even so, it was a beautiful day, just the right hint of fall temps..cool enough to enjoy the hike to the falls, with the promise of warmer weather once the sun was awake. The occupants of the other six cars must have gone to the visitor center first, because the only people ahead of me on the trail were those who had parked when I did.
Normally, my objective at the falls is to reach the top of the trail as quickly as possible. That day, I took my time, gazing all around me with each step. I hadn't realize there would be flowers still blooming - they added color to the greens and browns all around me.
Families passed me as I stopped to drink in the beauty of creation. The children's laughter and energy was as soothing to me as the wind in the leaves and the water rushing over the boulders. Some of the same families passed me on their way back down the trail, while I was still enroute to the top. Again, my plan was working; when I reached the viewing platform at the falls, everyone there was on their way out.
My word-smithing skills aren't adequate to describe the effect this place has on my heart & soul. But the Psalmist knows, and I found myself reciting his words with my own added twist as I stopped & started my way up the trail...
The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need. He leads me beside still waters, and some that are not so still.
He restores my soul.... My soul needs restored, God -- I feel like it's been ripped to shreds. Yea, though I walk in the shadow of death and decay, you're still here, walking beside me, holding me up, keeping me going. The shadows run from your light -- the light that is so much brighter than our poor sun that there is no comparison.
I look at the sun -- watch its rays highlighting the golden leaves; and understand artists' fascination with trying to paint light, and the effects of light. My camera won't be able to do it justice, but I try anyway.
The sun makes the leaves translucent -- they glow as if with inner fire. Does your light do that for me, God? Do I glow with your fire?
I've felt trapped in darkness lately, walking in the shadows. Even though I've felt alone, You've been with me, and brought companions for the journey. I thank you for that, Lord, and for your presence in my life. I'd have never gotten this far without you.
Tears are close to the surface today - good tears at the wonder of your love and the beauty of your creation. Even in autumn, as nature prepares for winter's sleep, there is beauty. There's a lesson in there somewhere, about beauty being present in all stages of our lives, but this is my day for experiencing, not for thinking.
Thinking and pondering can wait for later. For now, I nourish my soul, soaking in the sun and the breeze, the sound of the water, the smell of the damp leaves, the many-legged bug crawling from the top of the stump to the side, unsccessfully fleeing my camera flash, the skittering of dry leaves as they fall on or blow across the asphalt path.
Today, it is truly the journey and not the destination that matters to me, and this journey brings peace and renewal and faith. When I examine the tree growing from between two slabs of rock, how can I help but think that I can thrive, too?
I'm still grieving, and there will still be shadows to walk through, but I carry the light of the world inside my heart, and no shadow can overcome that. His goodness and mercy hang out with me, tagging along wherever I go, showing me the beauty in the midst of what appears to be decline.
And one day I'll be in God's house forever, and the things that seem so overwhelming now will be revealed as short threads in the pattern of my life, accenting the rest of it. Until then, His creation will remind me of his unending truths, and his never-ending love.
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| I know you better now... by MaryE | Dec 7, 2011 5:40 PM | 1 |
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