You have to keep your eyes and ears open when walking in the woods.

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I am still wandering through the trees, it has become apparent that I am in a forest, not a glade. It is a conifer forest, with a few deciduous trees here and there but for the most part, the smell of evergreens hangs in the air. I hear birds chirping, there are ground squirrels, squirreling around. I spotted a few deer, you never really hear a deer, they tend to be pretty quiet.  

I can hear running water, which is giving me the impression that there is a river somewhere in the vicinity. I wonder what type of river it is? Does the path parallel the river or cross it? If it crosses it will I be able to cross it. Questions are coming to mind. 

You have to keep your eyes and ears open when walking in the woods. You never know what you will come across. The woods aren't nearly as quiet as one would think they would be, no the woods can be pretty loud and full of noise. The cool stuff is pretty quiet though. 

The birds can be singing, the breeze can be rustling the leaves, but then you will hear a twig snap, your ears perk up, and your eyes look in the direction of the sound. Twigs don't tend to snap all on their own, something caused the twig to snap. 

I have never felt alone in the woods. I find it hard to feel alone when there is so much noise around. 

As I walked through the woods I remembered something that was written around 3,000 years ago. 

"The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went and stood at the mouth of the cave."

I have found this to be true. 

When God speaks he doesn't yell, He doesn't scream; no, He speaks quietly. You have to pay attention to hear him.

When I walk through the forest, I have to sift out the noise and listen for the sound I am meant to hear. The sound that will bring meaning and purpose to my life. It isn't always easy to hear, but I must be diligent and listen. 

As I walked through the forest, I looked down and noticed my boots. The mud was caked and dry. There was just enough left on my boots to remind me of where I had been, but I am not there anymore. 

I am walking through a forest, listening for a gentle whisper. I know this whisper will keep my path straight.  

Do you ever venture out into the woods? 

Do you ever listen for a gentle whisper?

It is hard to sift through the noise, it takes practice. Can you do it?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger