On Our Lake "IN EDEN"

By Cindy Williams

In the distance, two loons are calling—a strangely mournful sound that has captivated my heart and is part of what draws me back to this wilderness camp on Lake Sysladobsis in Maine.  It is here, off the grid and miles from the nearest road, far from the distractions of our busy lives, where one can take the time to appreciate the wonder of our God and all He has created.  We arrived late yesterday and spent the balance of the day unpacking and setting up camp.  Before we crawled into bed, we walked out onto the dock to survey the night sky.  With absolutely no ambient light, there are a shocking number of stars visible to the naked eye.  The sight is quite breathtaking. 

Now it’s almost daybreak—my favorite part of the day.  I can hardly wait to tip-toe out to the dock, with binoculars and a full hummingbird feeder in hand, and settle in for the show.  I find I’m not alone.  She stands confidently on our dock surveying her favorite hunting ground, her feathers soaking in the warmth of the first rays of sun.  She cocks her head to follow a crow noisily making his way across the morning sky.  She waddles purposefully to the edge of the dock and—not before depositing a reminder of her visit—the mother merganser plops feet first into the lake and paddles away.  A million diamonds sparkle on the ripples she makes on the water, reflecting the morning sun as it crests the treetops across the lake. A bald eagle breaks out of his lazy circles in the sky and heads for the top of the tallest pine on the tree-line—probably the best vantage point from which to fish.

The opposite shoreline is packed, sardine-like, with evergreens—a seemingly unending selection of species and more shades of green than one could imagine in the spectrum.  The variety of texture and structure intrigues me.  Some tall and majestic, some full and round, some with soft needles, other needles prickly, some long, others short.  The birches stand out with their paper white trunks and chartreuse leaves.  What care the Creator took in the design of trees...each one uniquely beautiful.

One of the advantages of being so far from “civilization” is the quiet.  The serenity has a profound effect on me.  The only sound reaching my ears at the moment is that of the flag saluting the pleasant breeze and that of the water lapping gently at the shoreline. 

Not five minutes after I first hang my hummingbird feeder, I hear the welcomed sound of wingbeats and catch an iridescent green streak coming from who-knows-where to take a long awaited drink of nectar.  Who told him this food had suddenly appeared after so many seasons?  Perhaps he’ll sit on my pinky to drink again this year.

The dew has sprinkled hundreds of droplets on the perfectly engineered work of a spider, enabling me study the intricate design of his labor.  Who taught him this art?

A bullfrog croaks loudly from the beach below me.  What a spectacle!  While he is a well-camouflaged brown from above, his face is bright green and his jaw and “croaker-throat” are brilliant yellow!  The Creator must have been quite pleased with the unique design of this seemingly insignificant frog.

In response to the great pleasure I derive from observing His creation all around me, God has sent us a new friend this year…an adorable chipmunk.  Apparently no one has told him that he should be wary of humans—perhaps I’m the first one he has encountered.  His keen sense of smell has led him to my chair, where I’m enjoying some cherries. He scampers right up to me, looks up as if to say, “Who are you?”  I offer him a slightly used cherry pit, which he eagerly takes from my fingers and proceeds to clean of every trace of cherry flesh.  Being no fool, my new friend then scampers up the leg of my chair to see what else might be on the breakfast menu.  He gratefully takes a grape from my hand, nibbles a few sample bites, then plops the remainder into his expandable cheek and looks up at me expectantly.  Enthralled as I am with how comfortable he is with me, I can’t help wonder if I’ll need to offer him a Maalox next!  Thank you, God.  This is an unexpected blessing.

From my kayak I investigate something white floating in the water a short distance from the dock.  And here I find, miles from anyone who would have the opportunity to appreciate it, an exquisite water lily.

Why worry about your clothing or anything any other need?  Look at the lilies and how they grow.  They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers out in the middle of nowhere, which are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for me?  (from Matt. 6, Cindy’s version)

When I survey all the beauty before me I am overwhelmed by His creative genius.  His tangible presence surrounds me.  A song of praise arises from deep within me. Can heaven really be any more beautiful than this?  I am undone.  And all of this wonder of nature is nothing compared His greatest handiwork: mankind.  He created us in His image, destined to love Him and to bring Him glory, to take dominion over all He created, to be conduits of His love to the whole world and to usher in His Kingdom. 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1)