River Walk 3/11/07

I went to church today. On the way home this happened.

"STOP here!" I heard it in the middle of a curve. Not just any curve but the second of two tight curves, this one with a train track over it, blocking the view of on coming traffic. And two, count em', two, no parking signs. I went past.

Go Back! I hear three times, each louder so I hit the next left and turned around, went though the curve and turned around again so I was back where I needed to be to pull over.

To NOT park I left the keys in the car and it running. I walked back toward the river and start looking for what I am supposed to see. First there is a dam near, a sound of comfort and a place of meaning to me. I feel myself relax. I see it has a place to sit on it. I see the blue sky, the clouds are all behind me.

Then there is the river. It's down a tall bank from where I am. At the base is a bare place from people fishing. A small stream feeds in on the north over the gravel bank. Someone has put small block steps in but they are icy and snow covered.

I am asking why I am here. I know "to go down to the river" is the answer. I explain about dress up shoes and ice and down hill and dresses and still get, "I will not let you fall, go down to the river."

I move about half way down and slip a little. I see a nice stump with a few leaves hiding it. I lift the leaves to move the snow off and sit there. I try to get comfortable and easy in spirit but I can't. The stump is too short, I am too tall, I'm cocked at the back. I look at the ice on the steps and at the spot by the river and I get up and start the rest of the way down.

I get to the nice spot and look around again. The sun is shining and I hear "The sun is to remind you of me. When you see clouds, the sun is still there. I am always here. " I hear a breeze in the leaves and then it fluttered through my hair and over my skin. I hear, "The wind is to remind you of me. You can not see me but I am always here."

I get it and I leak tears of joy that I understand and I just wrote about the river of love awhile ago so I know the river is the love. I hear, "Take off your shoes and step in the river."

Now anyone from the north knows there isn't much colder than a snow fed stream or river and where the two met I was to stand. I mentioned pnumonia, flu, only March, age, you name it I pointed it out and I just keep hearing, "I am here, step in the river".

I took off my shoes but left my socks on. I took a breath, looked up and walked into the river. It was ankle deep right there. The water ran over my feet from the stream and over my toes from the river. I looked at my feet. I knew they were in the water, I could SEE that, I could FEEL that but it felt like I had my feet in the creek at the shallow spot in high summer.

I looked at my feet some more and said, "Thank you, that feels really goodl" It was only cool and refreshing. My feet were not blue, I was not shivering and my teeth were not chattering. Wow.

I stood there until a truck pulled into the place I was parked in front of - right by their no parking sign and then walked out of the river, put on my shoes and went easily up the hill to the car.

He washed my feet.

To remind me I am loved so much that in the winter he would warm the water or maintain the warmth of my feet for me. He takes care of my every need. I am loved. I love the Creator.

For my reaction to that - wow. You had to be there. "I have washed your feet to show you the love I have for you. I am always here."

I got in the car KNOWING what centered was for the first time in a long time. I was completely balanced in my self. All the parts of me were connected in a way that left me feeling whole.

I don't know how to explain that better. I feel scattered a lot. Part of me thinking about one thing, doing another thing, wishing I was doing more or less and not being able to concentrate on what I am doing for all the other thoughts and such but at that time I was completely myself doing nothing but praying for joy and thankfulness for the blessing I feel I had received that day.

I had to take my shoes off in the car, my feet were too hot. Still, I have never heard of a hot flash in just one part of your body or a fever in one part of your body. I took off the wet socks, too.

I was so overcome by this that I drove around wherever traffic and corners took me or I felt I should turn until I was lost over by the new highway 6 south of GR. I finally hit 96 and headed home. I wanted so badly to share the experience with someone.

I stopped by my friends home. He was outside chipping ice of the driveway. I started telling him about it. He looked properly doubtful and I said, "See?"

Then I kicked off my shoes, walked over and stood in his snow. My feet went right to soggy ground. I stood there, walked out the long way through the snow and showed him my feet, not the slightest change. No shivers, no chattering teeth -nothing to show I felt it.

I went in and visited with them until I got it out of my system a little. I was barefoot as we talked and I left the same way.

WOW. I went out to put foot prints in the front yard just for the fun of it!

What a blessed day.