Walking on Gold

This weekend I joined two of my closest Nashville friends for an afternoon hike. The day started with chocolate chip pancakes on my back porch, so obviously a nature walk was the next logical step. We journeyed to the closest lake and walking trail, Radnor Lake (please excuse the poor website presentation. Hey Radnor, need a marketing person?).

We walked, shot photos, told stories, and stood in awe. We journeyed off the trail a bit and landed on a purely Narnian patch of earth. I’m pretty sure if C.S. Lewis new about this particular gem of a location he would have sent Digory and Polly there in The Magician's Nephew. It definitely would have been in one of their magic pools.

We walked up the trail and around a bend in the road to a lone bench. It was a small bench; low to the ground and just big enough for the three of us. We took a moment to sit and look up at the trees. It was about 1 p.m., and the sun was just at the right point in the sky to hit the leaves and produce a golden glow. The ground was covered with soft, delicate leaves, thick enough to look like a hand-made blanket.

We sat silently for a minute and just listened to the rustle of the leaves. Suddenly and slowly at the same time, a gust of wind came through the trees and scattered leaved all around us. All of a sudden it was snowing. Leaf by leaf twirled and prances from the tops of the trees to the ground below. The sun warmed our backs as the trees gifted us with their best bounty.

We put down our phones, quieted our worries, and listened for a moment for God’s gentle whisper.

You are not alone. I keep the storehouses of snow and tell each leaf where to fall (Job 38:22). I brought the glory of this day to you and I will continue to bring my glory to your life. Trust my paths, my ways, and my sovereignty. For now, let the glory of this moment be the grace you need to continue your journey.

God is the author of romance (John 3:16). Listen to his poems and see his beauty in the small moments.