When I went into the woods that night, I thought it was just another family camping trip. The forest behind our house was a perfect place to camp at, so every summer we took a week and lived out there off of the food we could carry in two hands and the activities we could find in nature. So why would I expect that summer and that night to be any different than the previous four?
I was only nine at the time, so my imagination felt free to wander. And my parents encouraged it. They especially encouraged it when we were camping because there’s little else out there to entertain a young girl.
I would pretend the trees were my fortress and the animals my servants and friends. We would go on adventures to find more servants for my palace. I always decorated the tents to look like solemn, poor houses that I ruled over as queen. It was always fun and entertaining.
Every year up until that year we got lucky and had perfect weather. We were extremely thankful for that. But on that particular year, we weren’t quite as foruitous. The sun disappeared on the third day and clouds loomed above with scowls and frowns.
“Get the armies ready!” I shouted through the woods. At that exact moment it was like everything exploded at once. Rumbling under the ground tickled my toes and the birds fled from their perches and the rain teemed down on us. It felt like a real battle was about to begin.
The thunder boomed with lighting strikes flying down to Earth. My parents fled back to the tents and called for me to come as well, but I insisted I fight the war.
What I thought I was opposing at the time was an imaginary figure. I thought that if I could believe that I would conquer it, I would conquer it. But when I found out later who I was actually opposing, I knew there was no greater power that could ever conquer this being.
The woods became silent as all the creatures snuck into hiding from the beast of a war coming. All that was left was the constant pour of rain and clash of thunder and zap of lightning. But it wasn’t coming at me. It was encircling me. The rain suddenly stopped pouring down on my head and surrounded me. A surge of energy flew through my body, and I looked up. I gazed through the trees at the indigo sky like a chick looking for its mother. I felt hands wrap around my arms and a sensation of comfort washed over me. As I heard the words, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil for you are with me,” I looked down. I tried to find who had been holding me only to find no one there. The rain stopped. The hands around my arms disappeared, but the feeling of comfort lingered.
Those words still ring in my head. After the storm, my parents emerged from the tents to make sure I was okay. But I stood still as they embraced me, and I recited the words that had just been spoken to me. My mother’s eyes lit up.
I have now been confirmed and go to church regularly, continuing to build my relationship with God. A lot of times God needs a sign from us to show that we want a relationship with him, but He saw me. He saw somewhere in me that I was calling for a relationship with him, and he reached out. Boy am I forever grateful that he did.