God Came Near

This morning I read a scripture in James 4:8 that said, "Come near to God and He will come near to you. . ."

It was another Sunday morning sitting by the river listening to the water hit the shore. I had to stop for a moment and really think about this scripture. In the chill of the morning, with the stillness that surrounded me, I felt very close to God.

In fact, this weekend I had some much needed God Moments. I had the pleasure of staying a couple of nights at The Gathering Place. The Gathering Place is my Aunt and Uncle's home in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

From the moment we started to drive up the long, narrow, winding, gravel road to their home, I felt my shoulders become less tense, my nerves started to calm and I felt more at peace. When I stepped out of the car I was able to take a deep breath and know it was going to be a great weekend.

I felt so close to God up on that mountain. I was, of course, at a higher elevation than I am on a normal day, but that was not it. . . As I stood on the porch looking out into the wilderness, I could hear God whisper my name. Let me clarify, I did not hear God speak to me audibly. However, as I was standing there in the calm of His presence all around me the wind was blowing through the leaves, and He was there.

I know that He is always present, but there is something about being in the midst of the beauty that He has created that makes you feel a bit closer to Him.

What is so ironic is that it isn't an easy drive to get to The Gathering Place. In fact, in the winter, my Aunt and Uncle have had to snowshoe up the mountain to get to their home. But once you arrive at this place, it is spectacular.

Once again, I reflect back to my faith journey. The journey, isn't easy. Along the way there are steep mountains to climb, sharp curves, and forks in the road that can lead you deep into the wilderness. However, when I come into the presence of God, it is worth every step of the journey. And lucky for me, with the Bible as my compass, I will not lose my way.