I love to walk after a rain. Actually, I like to walk in the rain…but yesterday I missed the rain, so I walked after. The air was cool and crisp, so once I finished my errands for the day I found my old friend the lake trail. Still in my school clothes, I was glad to change into a t-shirt I had in the back of the car. No tracking sticks with me, or tennis shoes…so sandals had to do. Sometimes I cannot wait to prepare, I just have to go. This evening was one of those.
The sweet smell of honeysuckle is dripping like rain. Two deep breaths erase the stress of the day. I can feel it leave my body as I strike out across the grass. The air is chilly, almost enough for a jacket if I wasn’t moving. However, once I get one hill in, the temperature is perfect. The Mountain Laurel is in bloom. It is my favorite. (I realize I say that about every flower…but it is true…they are all my favorites.) I love the design of a Mountain Laurel blossom. If you haven’t ever stopped long enough to look you really should. They are intricate pieces of art that come in clusters. These bushes tower above my head on the trail. Sometimes I think about the stories these old ones of the forest could tell and wonder if I should try to write one down. This day, they have blanketed the trail with blooms. I feel like a bride walking with a canopy over my head and flower petals under my feet. My spirit welcomes the quiet footfalls and whispering breeze. The air is crisp and clear, freshly laundered by the earlier showers. Breathing is easy. The fern along the trail are unfurled and several shades of green. They make a rustling sound with the breath of the wind. Peace fills my heart…that, and gratefulness to be walking in such a beautiful place. I hear the birds singing their evensong. Playfully they offer their praises. Then the woodpeckers chime in with the percussion. More than one tonight and the hammering echoes back and forth across the water. It is all a prayer I think. Sounds like one to me anyway. I join with my cadence, following the rhythm set by the forest. In too short a time, the song begins to fade with the light. All are busy preparing for bedtime. Chattering, and then stillness as the sun closes the day. I finish my walk, glad that I chose to go and blessed to participate in worship with the forest.