Laughing in the Rain

I walked outside this morning, after a night of heavy coughing, tossing and turning. Anyways, as I walked outside, I breathed in the fresh scent of rain. It was a clear morning, but it was obvious to me that it had just rained over the course of the night. I breathed in that scent like I was a fish in the ocean, taking water in. You see, it's been so long since I've experienced rain, and I just missed it so much.
Do you know that scent I'm talking about ? The rain has just fallen, and the ground is still damp from every little drop that touched it. Then the sun rises and it's weak, early spring rays touch onto the wet surfaces, making everything seem fresh and clean. That's the best smell to wake to first thing in the morning. Never mind bacon, never mind coffee. Im talking about nature.
Last night, at floor meeting, we were talking about how God longs to "romance" us. One of the big was that we came up with, is through the beautiful things that God gives us. Some talked bout the wide open spaces on the praries of Saskatchewan. Others, like me, mentioned the glory of the mountians and the ocean. Others, the stars, others still, the colors of the fall months. There is still so much more that I could mention, the list of things that are beautiful in this world could go on for pages and pages. It's different for every single person.
So after that list was talked about for awhile, we began talking about how spending time wtih God isnt always reading the bible and praying. Someimtes reflecting on the natural beauty in the world is spending time with God, for he comes to meet us in those places. I have had a few experiences like this, but the one that stands out the most in my mind is when we climbed black tusk back in Geography 12. You see, we went from the base of the mountian to the peak. About 7/8ths of the way up, I twisted my ankle, so I decided to wait where I was for the group to climb to the peak, and have lunch then come back down. Someone offered to stay with me, but I declined, deciding that I needed some quiet time, and what a better place to have it?
Wehere I stopped, I could see a perfect turquoise lake below me, and to my right, endless snowy peaks of mountians, and above me, the clear sky. Behind me, there was a hill full of long grass and wildflowers. It was in this field that I sat to wait. Needless to say, I was completely overwhelmed with the beauty that surrounded me. I spent over an hour there alone, with no music, no distractions, and I had never felt more at peace, more relaxed, or more inspired than I did while I was up on that mountian. God came to meet me at that place on that spring day. He was present there, and it was so obvious to me, I could feel him, almost as if he was laying beside me in that fielf of wildflowers, laughing, joyful.
I realized, as I looked around that day, that it was God who made it. It was God who made it for ME. He led me there, just as in the twenty third psalm.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters
He restores my soul."

PEACE AND LOVE ALWAYS
Ashley
xoxo

Could I talk to You?
Are You listening?
Would You let me ask the questions
That burn inside of me?
I am reaching out
I am holding on
Feel like one of Your affections
But not quite like I belong
Will You see me through this valley?
Will You hold my outstretched hands?
As the world caves in around me
Will You help me understand?