The Journey Continues: Embraced by God
Fall is here. Well, here in southern California it's still very much summer, with daytime temperatures in the 80's and 90's. But in my beloved eastern Sierra, the aspens at the higher elevations have already begun their display of gold and orange. I love aspen trees, and find that being in an aspen grove, especially a silent grove, is a balm to the soul and spirit.
Perhaps that has to do with an experience I had nearly 30 years ago, when I was in northern Arizona, and driving on a forest service road that circled the mountains north of Flagstaff. I drove up a hillside to a small grove of aspens, and walked into them. They were arranged in an oval shape, and as soon as I entered the interior of that oval, I felt the Presence of God. Sinking to my knees, I gave Him glory and thanks for being there.
As I was praying yesterday morning I reflected on that moment, and on my current walk and relationship with God. Most aspen groves are unlike the sacred grove I entered into in northern Arizona: they tend to be semi-dense, with many trees growing in close proximity to each other. For someone who might be even slightly claustrophobic, that could be too much. But for me, I feel like I am being lovingly embraced by those trees. I feel welcomed, calmed, even to the point that I reach out to touch the trees, just as I reach out to touch my wife or pat the shoulder of a close friend.
I realized in my prayer time yesterday that the experience of being embraced by aspens is exactly what I wish for in my relationship with God: to be embraced. To feel Him holding me, firmly yet gently. To feel that I am with Him, moment-by-moment and day-by-day. It's not enough to just pray for a few minutes and then go on with my day. It's the desire to fully engage with Him, to experience Him in every aspect of my life.
So, I think it's time for me to seek and ask God to fully embrace me, just as I am embraced by aspens.
Soli Deo Gloria
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