Scouting the Congaree

This evening I rode down to the Congaree swamp to “scout” location for my advisor/advisee prayer day on Wednesday. Two rivers in two days. I go down there about once a year and walk around the boardwalk. Its about an hour walk for 2.4 miles of some outrageously beautiful sights and sounds. This is one of the largest intact stands of old growth forest in the country. It also sports some of the tallest trees with some world record Loblolly pines measuring 174 feet high.
I’ve seen incredible birds, deer, snakes (I once had an encounter with a “cotton mouth” in a canoe that would take all night to tell about), and even a herd (?) of wild pigs. Tonight I saw a squirrel with a black raccoon face. He asked me what I had for lunch and I lied and told him a baked potato. Ok, I made up the part about lunch.
So, having found the perfect location for Wednesday’s deal, I sat and watched and listened and thought. We will be talking about being alone with God. What a great place to be alone with Him. Here are 22,000 acres of protected old-growth forest. On Wednesday afternoon, there will probably be no other humans in the park.
As I sat under a tree dripping moss, staring down the creek and listening to the birds, and crickets and tree frogs, I thought about all God’s creation praising Him. The cypress tree: “raises his ams in a blessing for being born again”. Thou burning sun with golden beam, thou silver moon with softer gleam, ye lights of evening find a voice. I remembered 20 years ago sitting at the fire beside the Cranberry river at about 2:00 am with Travis, the river playing a constant background against the night sounds. Travis asked me if I thought the river made any noise when no one was around to hear it. It occurred to me that it wasn’t for me that the river was singing, I was just fortunate to enjoy the song that it sang day and night for its Creator. When no one is around, there it is, alone with God, singing praises.
Let all things their Creator bless and worship Him in humbleness. O Praise Him. O Praise Him. Alleluia.

©2003 rod lewis