The Woods are Lovely, Dark and Deep

In traditional Jagger style, we were running late for our Father's Day celebrations. Try as we might, it always takes us forever to leave for anywhere. After church we got ready to head down to the Bob Jones Bike Trail in Avila, which is a lovely meandering path through a wooded area, ending right at the beach. It took us so long to get down there that when we arrived the parking lot was crowded and so was the trail, but mostly with people headed back the other way.

Our family rode our bikes all in a row, through the path, down to the beach.

 We played catch on the beach, watched our daughters run to the edge of the water and back. We walked to the end of the pier and then walked down underneath it, where we saw huge starfish on the pylons, as the sun slanted through the water.

 We followed this by a great dinner and some ice cream. By the time we finished, it was nearly dusk, and time to get back on the trail for the bike ride back.

By now, not a soul was on the trail except our family. We rode along quietly, enjoying the evening sounds of birds and the running brook beside the trail. The darkening woods surrounding the path made it so rich and still; it made me think of the line in the Robert Frost poem that says "The woods are lovely, dark and deep." Being with my family in the quiet made me feel so peaceful and content.

I thought about the verse in Philippians where it talks about the peace of God, and how it passes understanding. The peace I was feeling was so wonderful, but God's peace is even bigger than that.

Philippians 4:6-7 says,

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

No matter what joys we know, God has something even better. He is worthy of such praise, and I am so filled with thankfulness that he is a God of peace.

Lord, thank you that we get a taste of what your kingdom will be like. Thank you for sweet times with our families, and that you enable us to feel a peace beyond anything we can understand. I praise you, and I love you.