Miracle in the Woods

Three days before October ended, our “Dive into Joy” book study group took a road trip to Starved Rock State Park. The day was unseasonable warm, almost 80 degrees! As we hiked through the woods, rays of sunshine streamed through the branches. Although many of the trees had already let go of their leaves, there were still plenty of yellow ones that rained down upon us. It was almost like being in a “wonderland of delight.” Even the woodsy smell brought a refreshing fragrance to our nostrils, and the sound of crunching leaves beneath our feet reminded us of the fun we used to have in our earlier years.

We hiked to the council overhang -- a huge cave-like recess in the rocky canyon. There, we decided to rest and watch the last of the leaves descend to the ground. One of the women felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to sing. She opened her mouth and powerful songs of praise to Christ spilled forth. The cave-like setting magnified her voice and the yellow leaves falling from the trees seemed to dance delightfully with the music. One lady lifted her hands with a thankful heart, to honor Jesus, while another took pictures of God’s trees and the rock formations. Another person sketched the forest and someone else stood in awe of the Lord and took it all in.

Praise song after praise song reverberated outward from the overhang, while each of us worshiped the Lord using the creative talents HE had given us. When the music stopped, a beautiful peace engulfed each one of us. We were in awe of Yahweh and His creation, and He blessed us with stillness and a quiet heart. It was a holy moment. We stood there, basking in the light of Christ's Love, and then slowly left with a new joy in our hearts.

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