Listening for Peace

While most of our days are still quite warm, the hours of darkness are growing cooler. I find comfort in the ritual of reuniting with my jeans & hoodie. Wrapped in their warmth, I left the soft glow of a dozen candles, & headed out into the barely blueing darkness. The sound of an owl's last calls accompanied me down the trail to the Glade. Even from lakeside, the waterfall behind our home out-roared that of the dam. I listened as the crickets & katydids slowly quieted, replaced by the wrens chorusing the start of another day. They are first in our forest to start the day in mighty praise.


For a better view of the lakes' surface, I sat in a chair on the bank. I carefully chose a seat under sweet gum, sycamore & maple as the thuds of walnuts being released crashed their thuds all around. Still, the dampened forest seemed quieter than usual. With the ebb & flow of autumns' coming winds, the stalks all around me seemed to nod & sway in silent conversation. A remaining, forest sunflower seemed eager to tell me of all that I had missed. I was blessed with an occasional shower as the leaves released last nights' rains. Some of the ducks have relocated here, from the pond. They glide gracefully in the muddied waters & speak in hushed tones. I studied the cross-currents as the winds moved over the water. A school of fish traveled down the channel & turned in my direction, creating a wave in their forward movement. Had their been enough light for a photo, it would not have shown. This kind of subtlety is only revealed in the habit of careful watching.
As I return to the now lightened comfort of my home. I am greeted by a chorus of cheerful mums and the coffee pot's irregular gurgle. The dampening glow of the last candle seems to call it's farewell as I continue in prayer. As the daylight grew, I returned to the deck to bask in the rush of the waterfall. I noticed the chirping of the chipmunks that reside in our gardens. As I had prayed to my Heavenly Father, He carried His reply aloft in the early autumnal breeze. The peace of lakeside in early morning has accompanied me home and I find myself renewed in my Saviour.