never.. NEVER alone in the woods...

The woods..

They are filled with wonder

delight

fierceness

and fright

darkness

and light

walking in the woods

there are many trails

the crunch of the snow beneath your feet can be either comforting..

or

upsetting if you are TRYING to keep quiet..

with that occasional 

SNAP 

of an unexpected twig 

hidden beneath the white…

hiding

you never know if your hood will snag..

and white will fall on you 

and all around you 

whilst walking in the woods 

after a nice snow fall

In the woods.. walking… alone at night

you can feel

SO very alone.

ever creak

crunch

snap

has SUCH a different sound

at night

in the winter

as compared to

 the day

or in the spring

or in the summer

or in the autumn..

the sounds 

are SO 

shockingly different..

I know, because

I walk these woods..

and have for some time..

 I will stand

and close my eyes

and listen to the lies

of it's silence

because it's never

ever 

really 

actually silent

and since learning of Moriarty

I have paid extra special attention..

spent longer times..

with my eyes shut..

even tried to walk sections of the trails 

with my eyes shut.. 

just feeling my way with a walking stick.

deciding..

whether 

 I would zap him.. or 

or let him live,

and steal my eye sight..

it was a big decision... that Gamma Knife Surgery…

pretty scary stuff… 

another thing I know about walking in the woods alone..

is you are NEVER ever really 

alone

creepy right..?

thinking you are along but 

NOT actually BEING alone...

but it's comforting too..

not only is 

God with me..

but all His creation

deer

chipmunks chasing one another

rabbits playing hide and seek…

there are coyote in the woods

and some bigger animals

and raccoons

and who knows what else...

the quieter I get..

the MORE I hear

and eventually

The more I SEE..

and so ..

and so it is in life

the quieter I am in my home

the MORE I hear

the more  I see

I hear the play

but can I identify the game?

I hear the argument..

but can I discern that tone isn't anger but fear…?

I see the mess

but is do I discern laziness

or illness and being overwhelmed..

am I listening

am I listening

am I?

and in the standing..

or the sitting

In the being 

STILL..

in the listening to the forest

in the listening to the family

in the being still

I hear

and 

God's Word is SO VERY

clear

In the being still 

I can 

KNOW

He is God

and HE is good

even

in the forest

even in the battles

even climbing crazy mountains

even in events surround brain tumors

and all that jazz

He IS good.

In the being still

I am reminded,

 He is ON my side

where EVER I am

He is with me…

He chose …. me.

not for any coolness about me…

but for some purpose ALL His own..

and I am thrilled!

In just

being still..

even in not doing things..

which is SO profoundly difficult for me 

it's in this SITTING and 

just BEING still

HE is doing my fighting for me

and it's HERE

that I need ..

yes NEED to be still

need to observe

need to Wait

need to listen

need to BE patient

need to BE quiet

it's actually a lot to do

walking in the woods

sitting in the house healing amongst my family

a LOT to do

and yet…

it wasn't on "my" list of things to do

it really..

REALLY 

had me re look

at this verse…

just remember..

we are NEVER alone

as ALONE as I feel sometimes..

as LONELY as I feel sometimes

in the woods

in a crowd

in my home 

in the meadow

we are NEVER

EVER

alone..

note to self:

be still,

 observe EVERYTHING, 

listen.. just LISTEN to your surroundings, 

be patient with your self and others and the situation, 

try to be quiet, it's an extension of keeping self still, & listening…

oh..

and breath..

breathing is good…