Mountain Conversations With God

Here I can feel the mountain's breath, it fills my lungs and clears them of busyness.  The smell of Honeysuckle is all around, crickets and buzzing bees are my melody sounds.

The thing about getting quiet and alone, is the feelings you can't avoid with to do lists and scrolling on the phone.  The quiet begins to grow in your soul, God keeps it there a moment before the feelings arrive to help you grow.

Exhaustion and grief bring tears with their torrent of pain, after a while they slow down like drips of water following a heavy rain.  Laughter can follow if you choose to remember good times, and with acceptance, out of sadness you begin to climb.

Wondering about who really cares and is not playing a game, knowing if you get betrayed again too soon your heart may never be the same. Quietly praying any friendships not real will go away. Not wanting to hang on and save yourself for what turns out to be just another rainy day.

Questions directed at God and the pathways He chose for you. Why all the twists and turns topped off with the left handed curve ball He threw.  Looking at the stars that shine at night, deciding to trust Him because you believe He loves you with all His might.

Peace like a breeze from an angel's wing begins to settle in your soul, resting easy because you know in time you will be made whole.  Finally, the words start spilling out of your pen, it's ink making these moments permanent and easy to recall again.

Meet me in the the mountains as you have done so many times before, don't look to the left or to the right trying to figure out what is an open or closed door.  This world can deceive and lead you away from my perfect plans.  Confusion and pain would soon follow like the hot sun creating a dessert wasteland.

You'll find me sitting next to you on the mountain by the fire, as you hike listen to My whisper in your heart as you go higher and higher.  I will meet you in the morning with my word to light your way, don't let the outside world interrupt our conversations that day.

Everyone has baggage defining the why behind what they do, I see their hearts and with this knowledge I protect precious ones like you.  It doesn't matter if your walking alone or with the one I chose, I will be with you through the highs and lows.

You will come down off the mountain a bit more clear, amazing when you "finally" get quiet what you will hear.  Keep doing what you believe I led you to do, trusting those unfounded fears leading you to stumble were not true.   

Don't look to the left or to the right, just keep helping those I bring into your sight. Stay in the lane I put you in so I can take care of the rest, be patient precious girl, I am bringing you My very best. 

The words in this one will grow and change but not the message, it remains the same.  Those days you dreaded have come and gone, look to me, not to others and nothing will go wrong.

Bottom of the mountain in South Africa 

Isaiah 43:4  Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you,  peoples in exchange for your life.

Isaiah 30:21 - And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

They say on a clear day you can see forever, doubts about the road before you are tied to the word never.  The sun is shining through the leaves, nothing can come between them, not even the breeze.

Blurry days will come with the fear they bring, so, do what we tell little kids when they get scared, SING.  Sing of His love for you and your precious heart, He has always known the best way from the start.

Why do we think we know better than Him, for goodness sake just pinch the skin you are in.  He created every cell you see on your arm, if you're smart enough to listen He will keep you from harm. (see how I got that "you're" contraction right, wink, wink)

Well, we both know that's not always true, sometimes God's perfect plan broke our hearts in two.  While He never promised to keep us from life's pain, He did promise to never let us walk alone in the rain.

So sing, even if you always do it alone, who cares if you are the only one home.  If you can't sing then hum a little tune, I sure as "heckadurn" can't sing so that is what I do.  (my mom's made up word because she wasn't allowed to cuss.)

I don't even know where to call home, my life is like a rip tide I swim against alone.  I know this situation won't last forever, but there are days it is so, so hard to keep it together.

I don't share this to gain sympathy, but my sincere smiles you see are there because He walks with me.  I pray you know how to find this peace, for me, I bring Him my struggles on my knees.

All joking, bad grammar (not grammer) and personal details aside, some days are clear and others blurry, while some leave you feeling barely alive. We both know the sunshine eventually breaks through, I mean seriously, God let me share my rhymes but only with you. (ha)

There few things as beautiful as a Smokey Mountain River, many childhood days spent swimming in water so cold you shivered.  Mom with towels ready always waiting on the bank, standing far enough away so we couldn't splash her with our pranks.

Camping in tents was the way Dad would go, always beside a river so we kids could play in its flow.  Hundreds of flutter dams were built, while peeing in the river without any guilt.  (LOL)

Oh how the smell of those woods and campfires fill my mind, sites so big you had privacy as if surrounded by a hunting blind. Running barefoot down dirt roads from site to site, looking for other kids to play hide in seek especially at night.

As we grew older, floats replaced building flutter dams with moats,  careful so the current didn't take you like an out of control boat. For those who didn't listen to Dad's advice, you heard their screams for help using words that weren't that nice.

Dad's advice was to stay close to the bank, if he had to come find you down river your butt got a quick spank.  He didn't do it to be mean, danger from river rocks in the back of his mind was seen.

As adults we easily float in life's river when we stay close to the shore, but our eyes always wander to swifter currents the minute we get bored.  Those sparkling waters entice us with it's flow, so we push off  forgetting about the rocks and rapids that could harms us as we go.

Sometimes we find easy places to just float along, other times see the rocks and wonder if our decision was wrong.  But that is the place I want to be, staying close to shore was never the choice for me.

Truth be told I got a swift spank to the butt a number of times, especially if I wasn't found downriver by mealtime.  Why did I do it when I knew I would get in trouble, and the number of days I was grounded would instantly be doubled.  (i still don't know)

This wild and unafraid spirit now tempered by God's grace, convicts me sometimes when I pray o it is hard to lift my face.  That's when God's mercy and grace step in, He gently lifts my face, says He loves me and to begin again.

I can always drive to the river where I remember my first flutter dam.  Dad handing me all the pieces while he helped me build it with my little hands.  The first time I heard the screams of the cousin who didn't listen, watching her float disappear around the corner amongst the waves that glistened.

Grommie and Papa sitting on the porch of their drive up "Motel" in rocking chairs, waiting for us to join them to eat the fried chicken and veggies she had prepared.  Fried chicken is my favorite food, followed by steak.  Each bite is accompanied by memories of how good it was along with the fresh apple pie Grommie would bake.