Lines by Lee

A few weeks ago it was a beautiful spring day with warm temperatures and blue skies. It is not unusual for my wife and me to go for a walk in our neighborhood, which is at the base of a mountain. But I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk in the woods behind our house instead. She declined because she did not want to pick up a tick. My sons did not want to go, either. Apparently our Wi-Fi does not reach beyond our back yard. So off I went alone with nothing but the clothes on my back. No jacket or mask required.

I figured I would explore as I walked up toward the mountain and be back in 20-30 minutes. Within a few yards of my property I discovered a tree that had been down for a long time. It produced an abundance of fine mulch/peat moss that I figured I could return for later to put in my flower beds. It was the first of many downed trees of all sizes that I would see. It was also the first of many blessings God would provide.

It was a good time to be walking in the woods. Things were just starting to blossom, but no leaves on the trees meant one could see for a long way. There were plenty of brown leaves that crunched under my feet that had survived the winter. My mind went quickly to how amazing God's cyclical design is in nature. But I also thought of Adam and Eve. Though things had barely started to grow there was an abundance of fresh thorns and thistles. I am not sure how to distinguish between the two but I realized a walking stick could come in handy to avoid being snagged or cut.

Soon I came across a small branch that seemed to be custom made for me. Fifteen minutes into my ascent I held my stick and peered toward the top of the mountain. With staff in hand I thought about Moses. God used Moses and that staff to lead a few million people in the wilderness. I knew the staff would not become a snake. But it might come in handy if I happened to see one.

Years ago, when I was much younger and in better shape, I attempted to walk to the top of the mountain. I got about two-thirds of the way when the thick brush and terrain had become too daunting. Now as the staff knocked down thorny vines and helped keep my balance when I stepped on uneven rocks, I began to think about the top. After all, it was a picture-perfect day and I had no plans. Who has plans these days? I kept looking up and walking.

I was amazed that I did not need a break as I probably got close to the 30-minute mark since I left the comforts of home. I did pause now and then to look down in the direction of home. While I could no longer see my house I was rising way above the town of Everett. I could easily identify buildings, roads, and bridges that I see every day from a different perspective. The higher I got the more amazed I was at how far I could see. I thanked the Lord for my eyesight. Though not perfect, I was able to see for miles. And now I figured I was about two-thirds to the top.

I had no phone on me to take pictures of what my eyes beheld in nature. It did not occur to me to bring water. I figured I was going on a short walk. I was not wearing a watch. I did know that I had lots of daylight left. I also knew that the exact location of my house was becoming more of a mystery. I was not worried about getting lost. I only had to start walking down. But for now, my heart raced at the prospect of maybe making it to the top of the steepest mountain in the state of Pennsylvania. Well, maybe not the state. I could climb the biggest mountain in my county. OK, it was the biggest mountain behind my house. That was good enough for me.

I thought I might see more wildlife. There were a few squirrels in the distance. They were no doubt making plans to vacation in my flowers this summer. At one point I looked up and saw big birds circling. I had seen this many times from my yard, but not with this many birds. I could not tell if they were eagles or hawks. I was now so far from civilization that they could have been pterodactyl! I counted about a dozen of them. I was hoping they were not vultures ready to pounce if something happened to me. Like most people do at some point I dreamed of what it would be like to fly.

For now I was more focused on walking. I glanced down and saw what looked and sounded like black parchment paper. I picked it up. Perhaps it was something left behind by Native Americans. Was it a treasure map?! I kept finding more of the mysterious crunchy black stuff. It was probably some sort of dried out black fungus. Suddenly in the distance I saw something very large and gray. I had to walk vertically to investigate. But by now I was maybe 200 yards to the top. I had to see what the gray structure was though. It looked like a Flintstones- era drive-in movie theater screen. There were actually several large rocks that balanced in strange ways. The upright one was about 25 feet high and 12 feet wide. It might have been 4 feet thick. How did they get like that? There was no evidence of a rock slide long ago. I do know the rocks were over 6,000 years old. I would have taken a picture but I had no phone. I could only describe it to my family later. They were mildly interested.

Speaking of my family, as I left my personal Stonehenge and climbed higher I began to think about my wife. I was gone way longer than either of us expected. It also occurred to me that if I keeled over that until my family search team arrived it might not be a good situation. So I leaned against a tree and began to worship. The song that came to mind was "How Great Thou Art." When through the woods and forest glades I wander. I don't know if I wandered through a glade since I do not know what a glade is. I do know that when I think that God his son not sparing sent him to die I scarce can take it in. I sang heartily. My goal was not quite reached. I was far from home but felt close to Home. God had allowed me to be surprised by him and his beautiful creation.

He gave me legs that could climb along with a determination to keep walking. He gave me ears to hear the gentle breezes. He gave me eyes to see mountains and what seemed like millions of trees. And for once I felt millions of miles away from news reports about the virus. As I worshiped the Lord and started down the mountain I was at peace.

"I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1-2).

He helped me get safely home but not directly. I strayed a bit. I had lost my way. God has a way of patiently waiting for us to find him. He knows we lose our way. Our feet stumble. We get distracted. The thorns stick sometimes. But we must keep looking up. He will guide and provide. No matter what you are facing, worship God and keep walking!

"God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights" (Psalm 18.32-33).