Heaven is a walk in the Woods

I have heard it said that Heaven has gates of Pearl

And streets of gold

I would rather the gates

Are ancient stone

And the streets are fashioned from detritus and soil

For when my soul needs rest

In this insane world

I walk to the woods and find my peace

In the shadows provided

By trees much older than I

My body and soul find refuge

In the quiet

With only the singing of the birds

I find contentment

No matter the season

The trek brings wonder

Squirrels playfully chasing each other around

A thick oak

A gopher peeking from its home beneath the ground

To me the earth is rich

In it's simplicity

The lush green fields soft, welcoming

What things have these trees lived through?

What have they seen and heard?

I find myself grounded near trees

With their roots buried in the deep

They protect each other

Their branches offer food

For the animals

Protection from the sun for me

It is cooler, quieter

How delightful are the flowers

Blooming now in Spring

Colors more vivid than

Any made by man

If I ask the universe

To speak to me

I always get a sign

A butterfly

A praying mantis

A hawk, or a snake

Have all been used

To speak a message to me

As a child

I was taught

That trees make the very air

We breathe

When I walk in the woods

I feel my breath

Come back to me

The woods are where I feel at home

Where I feel God

When I was growing up

I disliked the gold and pomp

Of the church I attended

Jesus walked in sandals

In the sand and dirt

Who were we trying to impress?

Dressing up in formal attire

Was at odds with my concept of Christianity

When we would go on retreats

Or camping

That is when I felt close to the Creator

I realize now

Nature was where I found God

Not church

The idea of spending an afterlife

In opulence

But compelled to worship God for all eternity

Was also at odds with me

It was what I was taught

Not what I believe

When my sister was dying in Hospice

I learned that there is a process to death

One thing I learned

Is that people universally

Regardless of religion or beliefs

Reach out for loved ones who have died

Some appear to talk to those loved ones

Sometimes they can be seen

Stroking an invisible pet

Who has gone on before them

The grief I felt when my sister died

Was immense

She comforted me by appearing to me

In a dream

I saw her young again

Her beautiful blonde hair restored

Her body no longer ravaged by cancer

She was riding a train and smiling

I had peace after that dream

I knew she was healed, and content

Was my sister in heaven?

I don't know

But she was alive in my dream

I do not consider myself religious now

God is bigger in mind than any single belief system

When a client I loved died back in October

It was a tree that reached out to comfort me

A soft branch touched my face

Helping to lift my sadness

Religion often brings shame, or blame

Nature brings healing

Wherever we go after death

I believe we will see our loved ones

Feel their embrace

I will admit

I don't know what the afterlife will be like

I am compelled by ghost stories for that reason

I believe we go on living

When the body is finished

While I am still in this body though

Heaven is a walk in the woods