I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9: 1-2)
Sunlight flickered through the window of my home office, enticing me to put aside my work and go outside for a morning walk. Eager to indulge in my hobby of photography, I grabbed my camera and headed downstairs.
The fragrance of the summer mountain engulfed me as soon as I stepped outside the door. I inhaled deeply, as the sweet and musky scent lured me into the woods, as if I was being courted by the Most High.
The first light of day peeked between the towering trees, creating a sunlit path for me to walk on, wooing me away from the cares of the day. Meandering along the sunlit path, I was serenaded by a cardinal’s song, the sweet twittering of the finches, and the pecking of a woodpecker nearby. At times they sang solo, and at times they joined together in unison, their melodies reverberating throughout the woods in heavenly harmony.
Summer daisies held their white and yellow heads high on spindly stems, swaying in the June breeze , creating a stage for a butterfly performance. I paused to watch the butterflies dancing from flower to flower; their stellar show was a lovely reminder of the power of transformation. If God can change a lowly caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly, imagine how much he can change us!
A symphony awaited me by the side of the creek. I stopped to listen to the water trickling over the rocks, resounding forth a refreshing melody. The sun’s rays cascaded through the trees creating diamonds on the face of the water. The diamonds shimmered in tune with the trickling song of the creek – a token of nature’s beauty.
Overcome with thankfulness for the beauty of a simple morning walk through the woods, I paused near a crooked little tree, which held a unique beauty of its own, to say a prayer of praise to the Most High – A prayer of gratitude to the One who blessed me with the sweet mountain fragrance, a sunlit path, a birdsong chorus, summer daisies, a butterfly dance, and a creek side symphony.
Where is God leading you today? Is He wooing you to set aside some time to follow Him to a place of rest and renewal? Whether that place is a room in your home, a park bench in a crowded city, or a secluded mountain, God loves it when we spend time alone with Him.
There is nothing like being courted by the Most High!
Dear Joni,
Love your posts so very much! You are a most gifted writer and your pictures are just perfect! I am eagerly awaiting your book. Thank you again for sharing with us. We live close to a secluded open field with an unbelievable view that I often walk to in the evenings just to get alone with God and to take in all the beauty that surrounds it. There are old pines that line the field and big open sky and just peace and quiet all around. It is one of my favorite places to get alone with God and to be still and listen and to pray. Thank you again for sharing! My thoughts and prayers are with you always!
Blessings,
Sue
Sue,
I can just imagine your open field lined with pine trees and the open sky above! It sounds like the perfect place to enjoy time alone with God. Thanks again for your prayers and for sharing your kind words and thoughts. Your words are a blessing, and they never fail to inspire me on my walk of faith. It’s a beautiful day here in central Pennsylvania. I pray it’s a lovely day where you are too. Blessings across the miles, my friend.