Peace Like A River

November 3rd, 2016

Peace Like A River

by Jordan M. Gray

There, by the wide river, I felt serene peace down deep in my soul. 

Over the week before our class field trip to the lions bridge, I personally had experienced many griefs that had gotten my spirits down and left me feeling all alone and by myself. You see, in that week, actually the day of the trip, I had been dealing with the fact that my grandfather, "Mr. Pap", had just been hospitalized with two heart attacks in the same day. Not to mention, my mother was dealing with extreme stress from our only vehicle being in poor shape and unable to make it to the hospital on multiple trips. Also, she was dealing with the fact that I, her son, was over one hundred miles away with critical car problems myself. Needless to say, before this short trip out into nature, the last thing on my mind was nature or our class. 

However, as I separated from the group and began to reflect on my life and experiences, fully immersed in the place, I began to feel the subtle call of God surrounding me from all angles. Looking out across the lake that sits just off the trail, I saw some cranes standing solidly as a statue. It was as this moment that God began to speak directly to me. He reminded me that He wants me to stand firm and strong in all that I was facing. He reminded me of a favorite Christian song which proudly proclaims for us to,

"Stand still and let God move, 

Standing still is hard to do.

When you f eel you have reached the end, 

He'll make a way for you 

Stand still and let God move"

As I made my way back through the woods I payed special attention to the sounds that surrounded me. It was the sound of nature itself singing unto the heavens in a glorious song. You could hear the rustling of leaves, singing of birds, falling of branches, and croaking of frogs. 

Soon, I came back to the famous statue that honors Huntington. It was at this moment that God again spoke to my heart and reminded me that He will ultimately defeat the Devil and my trials just as the statue man had conquered the beast of the horse. Just across the way, I noticed the lion, that sits boldly on the stone throne guarding the bridge that is in the center of the park. Again, God spoke to me and reminded me that He alone sits on the throne not only in my heart but also in Heaven. 

My experience in the evening ended with a moment of prayer and solitude down by the James river as the sun was setting in the western sky. I knew the sun was setting on my problems. I knew that they would not conquer me. I knew that God was in control of my life and that I was, as the salty air had alluded to, the salt of this Earth. I knew that although the sun was setting, the next thing to come was a new dawn. 

So, as I sat on the banks of the James River, I too was a calm and peaceful as the water was.