O give thanks to God, for God is good; for God’s steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)
Lately I taste God’s love and goodness as I munch on fresh chives, dandelions, wild strawberries and hear it in the song of white-throated sparrows and the hum of bees as they find nectar in newly emerging blossoms.
I see it in the bright yellow and purple woodland violets, the flight of dragonflies and butterflies. God is good. God’s love endures forever.
The earth has warmed, the rain has fallen, the sun is shining and the abundance of the earth is pouring forth new life and love all around us. Thanks be to God. Each day I look forward to walking in these wild spaces we cherish and share with so many guests this time of year.
“How do you know when to turn back?” I looked at the young hikers in front of me. They were all wearing flip-flops and light summer attire. Clearly they were enjoying the beauty and grace of this place we call home.
After a brief conversation that included what I hope was helpful information, we parted ways. I had described a highly visible landmark that was not too far ahead of them and suggested that would be a good turn around point. But their lighthearted question called forth many images of other situations where people have needed to be rescued from harm’s way by our first responders.
Their question has become a prayer for the safety and well-being, not just of our guests, but for all of us.
It is so easy to forge ahead without considering when it is time to “turn back.” Despite training, experience, and good advice, I have at times found myself too deep in the wilderness, short on water and supplies or caught in an unexpected storm that turned fairly easy hiking into a treacherous, life-threatening adventure. When we miss the signs that warn us when we are getting in too deep, we put others at risk.
As our shops and trails, lodging and campgrounds fill up with visitors, I hope and pray that we can see and hear each other, trusting always in the Holy Spirit to breathe us in peace and call us back from harm’s way.
After the first verse that gives thanks and declares God’s steadfast love, the second verse of Psalm 107 goes like this: “Let the redeemed of God say so, those whom God redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.”
God calls us back from trouble and harm, teaching us what it means to be redeemed. Whether we are in a cultural wilderness or a geographic wilderness, God is with us, loving us, planning for our well-being and not for our harm. God uses whatever is available to offer us signposts and warnings.
There are so many things that can distract us from being grounded in God’s steadfast love and kindness. It is unlikely that I will ever see the same young band of hikers who offered me such an important question, but I am grateful for all the ways their question continues to teach me and guide me on this trail we call life.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This week our contributor is Reverend Beth Benson of the First Congregational Church – UCC in Grand Marais.
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