The Greatest Treasure

During the first retreat day I could hardly wait for some free time to head off into the forest with my camera. That time came shortly after breakfast. Ah! The perfect time! Morning sunlight!

With my camera in hand, I headed off toward the path that led into the woods. At the start of the trail I heard a distant voice behind me calling my name. It was Martine. She needed a forest walking partner and asked if she could come along. Of course she could join me; but I warned her that my focus would be on the flora and fauna of the forest and I wouldn't be a great companion for conversation. That was OK with her. She just didn't want to walk alone.

The forest was everything I had expected and more. We found unexpected treasures scattered along the way - some of which I posted in my photo album titled, "Retreat Center and Treasures in the Forest." The woods were enchanting and I felt richly blessed to be on this journey through yet another of God's wonderful and awesome creations - the dense woods of Rainbow Lodge Retreat Center in North Bend, Washington.

We were in the midst of the thick woods when I suddenly became overwhelmed by the things of the forest. My lungs began to shut down. It happened that quickly and without warning. An avalanche of realities slapped me very hard during that frightening moment. In my eager quest to capture the forest scenes, I had foolishly forgotten some very important facts and issues: (1) I have asthma. (2) I left my inhaler in my backpack which was still at the lodge. (3) My cell phone was also at the lodge and I had no way of calling for help. (4) I have absolutely no sense of direction. I might have gotten lost in the forest if it had not been for Martine who has a very keen sense of direction. 

Martine proved to be of more worth as the seconds dragged by. She saw that I was in trouble and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“My lungs are shutting down,” I gasped. “I have asthma and I left my inhaler behind. 

Martine reached for something in her pocket and produced an albuterol inhaler. “I have asthma too,” she said. Use mine.” 

My airways opened again with the first puff of the inhaler. Relief was only a breath away.

Martine also had her cell phone with her and had walked the forest during the previous day and knew the paths well. We headed out of the forest as soon as I had regained my strength to make the journey. This time, Martine took the lead. However, I was still a bit shaken by the experience and it took a few moments for me to settle back into that place of inner peace.

As we walked across a mossy bridge that spanned a little brook, I spotted a heart-shaped rock on the muddy bank. I pick it up and studied it for a moment. It was covered with mud. Kathy, who had caught up with us on the trail, was closest to the brook so she volunteered to wash the mud from the rock in the icy cold water. Such a loving gesture!

The rock reminded me of the Greatest Treasure that is always with me – even when I do foolish things. That greatest treasure is God’s incredible love, demonstrated in so many ways:

When I wandered off alone in an overly eager quest; and foolishly forgot some very important live-saving factors, He was there watching over me. 

When Martine called my name, He was there giving me a companion to help me through the trouble ahead.

As I struggled with that first labored breath in the woods and when Martine handed me her inhaler, He was there showing His care for me.

When I spotted the rock resting on the bank, He was there teaching me another lesson.

When Kathy washed the mud from the rock in the frigid stream, He was there reminding me that though the mud of life often splatters us He washes us clean again.

There is so much more to this story. I love when God teaches me in these ways and continues to love me and guide me through my foolish times. 

The rock sits on my desk and serves as a reminder of that time in the forest. It’s not a perfect heart-shaped rock. Rough and pitted places dot the surface of the rock and a deep brown scar cuts across its face. But it is beautiful. And as I hold it in my hand, I contemplate its journey - rolling, tumbling, and tossing along rivers, streams, and brooks; and smashing into other rocks that break off pieces at just the right places in order to form it into a heart-shaped rock. This beautiful forest rock could not have been shaped in any other way.

We are each as this rock with its rough and pitted places. We are still being shaped by life’s lessons while being blessed by the greatest treasure of all: God’s amazing love and grace.

Being Faithful In the Smallest Of Tasks

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Nature is the canvas God paints on and I love photographing His work, especially in the early spring when the season begins to awaken the sleeping things of the earth and tiny new leaves and buds begin to appear.

It’s magical!

I’m amazed at how the tiny things begin as infant bulbs that slowly cultivate petite and fragile petals as they grow. I took special care in noticing how new little buds of every growing thing hold their petals together as in a gesture of prayer before opening themselves into full bloom to expose their inner beauty.

We could glean a mighty lesson from nature.

Little buds take days to fully flourish. I’ve spent some time observing them; and as I say this, I envision the tree in front of my house. It is adorned with numerous newborn buds. I’ve been watching and recording their progress in photographs. Some of the buds have blossomed into clusters of tiny delicate yellow flowers. There are several of them on each of the branches. Soon they will mature into leaves and the tree’s seasonal cycle will repeat itself each year until the tree ceases to exist.

I’ve been in this location for a while so I’m privileged to see the changes taking place on this particular tree throughout the seasons of the year. The little yellow flowers become tiny leaves that fill the tree and grow into bigger leaves that provide beauty, shade and housing for the birds of the air, and a frolicking place for the little squirrels. It’s invigorating to watch these exquisite leaves dance, and listen to them sing whenever a gentle air current wafts through their branches. It’s like a chatter of song giving praise to the season of summer sunshine.

Fall enchants me with a glorious display of colorful leaves on the stately tree. I sit on the deck or view this magnificent tree from my patio window and marvel at the spectacular display of gold, red, pink, yellow, green, brown, tan, and lavender leaves quivering in the breeze as gusts of wind snatch them, one by one, from the arms of the tree. They soar on the wind or twirl as a ballerina in a pirouette as they dance along the streets and walkways. And then they are gone forever, never to return again. The same leaves will never return. New ones will come and take their place. We can be sure of this, as long as the tree remains.

We could glean a mighty lesson from nature.

Winter comes too soon. All the leaves disappear, withered, disintegrated, and dissolved into dust that blends itself back into the earth. Then the branches become heavy with snow as soft, cold mounds of white recline on frozen branches and glimmers as sunlight momentarily peeks through the gray cloudy skies. Winter has its own beauty.

After the winter, spring sings in celebration of its return and the cycle begins again with new little buds.

It’s a faithful tree, that extraordinary maple tree in front of my home. It continues to be faithful in all the little tasks that have been assigned to it throughout the seasons of its life; and it isn’t discontent with its assignment, nor does it uproot itself in search of an accomplishment that it might consider to be of greater value. It is content to be a Maple Tree and flourish in the way God intended it to do. And I, for one, am blessed that it exists.

We could glean a mighty lesson from nature.

God’s propose for us, I believe, is to love Him, and to learn from all His creations; and like the maple tree, to be faithful in all the little tasks He assigns to us through every season of our life. By doing so, we bless others; and we are exceedingly blessed in return.