An Unexpected Walk

After supper I was gathering the dishes to wash when I unexpectedly heard God say through the Spirit, “Come, walk with me.”  At first, I thought it was my imagination, but then I heard it again.  Since the evening air was cooling off, I put on my coat and went outside. The sun was setting with various cloud formations, displaying their unique, whispering beauty, scattered across the darkening blue sky. I stood quietly, taking in the approaching night’s serenity.

But soon, I heard further instructions to walk into the trees. Our shelter belt contains a variety of trees; some have died from brutal winters while others are alive with their leaves beginning to change colors. I walked to the west toward our son Quinn’s fort he built years ago. Then I strolled on the edge of the milo field and walked along the outer edge of the shelter belt.  As I walked, I kept wondering what God might surprise me with like the dime/heart-shaped print He amazed me with a few days before. But tonight I didn’t see or notice anything unusual. It was quiet and peaceful.

Then, it dawned on me; God doesn’t always have to reveal Himself in dramatic ways. He enjoys the simple, every day revelations as well. He had told me to walk with Him….maybe to test me…to see if I would obey Him; but in my heart I felt He just wanted to walk with me…to see His beauty in the sunset and the rising full moon, to sense His Presence in the soft rustling of the leaves, to know He truly was there, all around, everywhere. As I turned to walk back to the house, I heard His gentle Spirit say, “Thank you.”  I smiled and contently and leisurely, returned home!!

From this experience, I was reminded of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, when God walked through the garden looking for His children who at that time had sinned and had hidden. I was also reminded of what my mom had told me once. She had pictured walking with Jesus in a beautiful garden. I bet that picture has come true for her now as she met Jesus in 2004.  Someday it will come true for me, too!! Thank you, my Father, for the evening walk!!!

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”  Genesis 3:8