A Story, the Walk Through the Forest

It was a beautiful summer day. A Father and his son were walking through a forest on a trail exploring. The canopy of the trees provided shade that kept the two cool. 

"Where are we going?", asked the son.
"You will see", the father replied.

The young boy's ideas began to run wild. He started to imagine what they might encounter when they reached their destination. It'd been a long hot summer, perhaps they were going to a pond or better yet a waterfall where they could cool off and play in the water. They journeyed further down the trail and the father made sure to take the time to pause and point things out. The young boy felt as if he'd walked into an  entirely different world. Even though he was local to the surroundings  he was unaware of all the different kinds of birds and animals and insects that live in the area. Finally the father and the son reached their destination, the boy couldn't believe his eyes. In the middle of this forest they came upon a clearing. The grass was soft and there was a cool breeze flowing through the area. Even though the sun shone through brightly it wasn't too hot, it was a perfect day, and yes on the opposite side of the clearing was a small waterfall and pool of water.

The young boy could barely hold in his excitement. He jumped up and down, clapped his hands and giggled with happiness. Both father and son took off their packs, set them on the ground, took off their socks, shoes and shirts and proceeded to play in the pool of water. The young boy could not have asked for a more exciting adventure. Soaking up all that nature had to offer they, finally decided to rest on the grassy banks of the waterfall. There they laid in the warm summer sun and dried them selves.

The father finally turned to his young son and said, "We probably should get going."
"Why?", the boy replied.
"It is beginning to become late in the day and we don't want to be stuck out here after dark", explained the father. 
"Please please!", begged the little boy, "Can we please stay a little bit longer? It is so wonderful out here!"
"No I am so sorry son. We really must get going", the father firmly stated.

Displeased the young boy got up with his father and began to get ready to depart. The young boy saw no reason to leave at that time. There was plenty of daylight, and still so much more fun to be had. The young boy began to dawdle to try and spend as much time in this beautiful area as he possibly could. The father could tell that his son was dragging his feet and coached him to hurry. The boy wanted nothing of it though, and moved slowly anyway. Finally both were ready to go and they began heading along their way. What was peculiar to the young boy though was that they were not taking the same trail back as which they came.

"Why are we going this way?" the young boy inquired.
"This way will be quicker son. Trust me, we need to hurry up and get back before nightfall.", replied the father.

The son still sore from having to leave the beautiful waterfall so early in the day continue to drag his feet. To the young lad it seemed as if the father had no idea what he was doing or where he was going. The trail that they were on team to be taking them out of their way and was going to be making for a longer trip. They could have saved time by going back the way they came in, and that would've  allowed them to spend more time at the beautiful waterfall. Noticing the sour mood of the young boy and how slowly he was moving, the father decided to pick up the pace and stop pointing out things in the forest. Continuing on, things got more difficult the trail narrowed and they encountered a steep grade that they had to walk up. On top of this it seemed as if it seemed as though it was later in the day than the boy had realized, and the light was becoming more and more scarce. 

"Stay close son, nightfall is near", explain the father, "This is the last place that you would want to be on your own son."


The once beautiful and majestic forest slowly began to change before the young boy's eyes. With the sun setting, the shadows began to rise and slowly a blanket of darkness began to cover the entire forest. What little light there was began reflecting off the leaves of the trees and it almost appeared as if they were surrounded by a crowd of night lit eyes constantly staring at them. Even the sounds in the forest began to change. The birds that were once chirping quite happily became silent. The nighttime sounds began to take over the forest and the boys fear begin to swell in the bottom of this stomach. The air was cooling, and the young boy could feel his legs begin to ache. He was tired and was beginning to feel pains of hunger. Young boys father was right in front of him and he could see him fairly well so he paused for a moment to look in his pack and try to find his canteen. 

"Please son, it is no time to stop now", asked the father, "Let's keep going."

But the young boy it was so thirsty you continue to look for his canteen. He did not realize it but his father had continued on. Finally, he found the canteen in the bottom of his backpack where it had been thrown hastily. Cracking the lid open, putting the rim to his lips and throwing it into the air the boy felt nothing come out of the canteen. It seemed that in the frustration and displeased-meant he forgot to fill his canteen before leaving the waterfall. The boy quickly put the cap back on his canteen and threw everything back into his backpack and looked up, his father was gone. The boy panicked, he could barely see. Barely making out the trail he scrambled up the hill, up the trail as fast as he could. The texture of the trail began to change, he could feel it getting slick underneath his boots. Now he was heading downhill and as he encountered a sharp turn his feet slid out from underneath him. His body hit the ground, it felt as if rocks and sticks were piercing his right side. His body began to roll down the hill off the trail in a direction he did not know. Once he had stopped rolling he quickly got up, but in his fall he had rolled his ankle, and it was very sore so he had to favor it. Putting most of the weight on his left leg he began to look around to get his bearings. Has he looked back in the direction of the trail he heard a rustling of leaves.

"Father!", the young boy exclaimed.

There was no reply. The boy called out again to his father very loud and in a more panicked tone. Young boy continued to hear leaves tussle. It sounded as if they were getting closer but the movement  also slowed. The boys heart sank and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end as he heard a faint growling noise. Panicking the boy took off in the direction of the trail it was a steep climb. Quickly, he looked around and try to get his bearings and continued the way he thought he should. 

Why did he do this? The boy started to feel so regretful. He should've listened when his father said it was time to go. He shouldn't have dragged his feet. The boy began to think that if he had just merely listened in the first place he probably would be home safe with his father right now, reminiscing about the wonderful time they had at the beautiful waterfall. Working hard to catch up and stay on the trail the boy began to lose his breath. Where was his father? Wasn't he looking for him? How could a beautiful day have gone so wrong? Suddenly he tripped over a tree root protruding up from the ground in the middle of the trail. The boy fell to the ground hard. The boy just laid there he felt as if he just wanted to give up. Tears began to well up in the boys eyes and roll down the sides of his face. Lost, confused, tired, hungry and aching all over the boy laid there not knowing what to do. The boy longed for his father like never before. He wished his father was with him. His father always knew what to do.

All of a sudden he began to hear the rustling leaves again in the faint distance. The boy stopped breathing, fear crept over every inch of his body. His heart began to pound so hard it felt like it was not going to be able to stay inside of his chest. All of his senses were on high alert and it felt like every single hair on his body was standing straight up. The wrestling got louder and louder as it seem to get closer and closer to him. Suddenly something grabbed his left shoulder from behind and jerked him hard. The boy began to flail about, but there was a steel grip on his shoulder and he could not get away. 

"Thank goodness!",  his father explained, "I finally found you!"

Realizing that his father had finally found him, the boy leapt up and grabbed his father as tight as he possibly could. Seeing that his son was hurt the father picked up his son in his arms and began to walk down the trail.

"It's all right. It's all right son. It's OK now, you can relax", the father said he could feel his young son trembling in his arms. Slowly the reality of his safety was realized by the young boy. His body stopped shaking and relaxed in his father's strong arms. 

The boy finally began to speak, "I'm so sorry Dad. I'm so sorry. I love you. I should have never left you. I should have never stopped. I should have paid attention and left when you said it was time to go. I didn't realize it was going to get so dark so quickly."

The boy trying to continue but the father interrupted, "Hey, hey there, please calm down. It is OK I have you now. You know you were really never that far away from me. I knew you would be OK, but when I heard you call for me I came for you immediately." 

The father finally came around the last bend in the trail, and there sat their vehicle. It seems as though the boy was actually only about two minutes away from the car. The boy was quite astonished. It felt as if he was miles away from where he needed to be. Setting his boy down in the passenger seat of the car the boy refused to let go. The father knelt beside the car and allowed his son to just sit there and hold him. Finally the boy's grip relaxed for he had fallen asleep. The father laid the boy back into the seat, buckled him up, got in the car and they were off heading home with another adventure completed. 

As children we all think we know what's best. We don't want the good times to end. Many times we only see five minutes in front of our face, and how quickly it is that we can get ourselves into trouble, but God is always there with us. We only have to call. 

Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12

Hear this word, O children of Israel, that the LORD pronounces over you,
over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:

You alone have I favored,
more than all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you
for all your crimes.

Do two walk together
unless they have agreed?
Does a lion roar in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from its den
unless it has seized something?
Is a bird brought to earth by a snare
when there is no lure for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground
without catching anything?
If the trumpet sounds in a city,
will the people not be frightened?
If evil befalls a city,
has not the LORD caused it?
Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing
without revealing his plan
to his servants, the prophets.

The lion roars—
who will not be afraid!
The Lord GOD speaks—
who will not prophesy!

I brought upon you such upheaval
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah:
you were like a brand plucked from the fire;
Yet you returned not to me,
says the LORD.

So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel!
and since I will deal thus with you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel.

Mt 8:23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”