By Quiet Waters
As Ray and I drove south on Highway 111 last week, I looked forward to the time we would pass this waterfall. Sometimes this bluff by the side of the road is a wet trickle; but after our abundant spring rains, the water flowed beautifully.
Before we took our shuttle to the train station in Atlanta the next day, we played at a park with Bethany and Eva. We all enjoyed seeing the pretty ducks, swimming turtles, and even some catfish.
As we rode on the train from New York to Boston last Wednesday afternoon, water droplets clung to our window and softened our view.
After our weekend at the MassHOPE convention and church on Sunday morning, we spent the late morning and all afternoon exploring the John Adams and John Quincy Adams sites in Quincy, Massachusetts, near Boston. Before heading back to Boston, we tried some fresh fish at Captain Fishbones, which sat beside Quincy Bay. It was scrumptious.
As our commuter train hurried toward New York City, first through Rhode Island and then along the coast of Connecticut Monday morning, we enjoyed the bays and wetlands outside our window.
After our arrival back in Atlanta on Tuesday morning, we had a quick visit with Bethany and family before heading home. For the first time, we came back to Tennessee through northern Alabama. We haven’t spent much time in Alabama and were impressed by the beauty of its northern hills. We were surprised when we saw signs for a national park. Ray pulled over at a scenic overlook in Little River Canyon National Preserve. We saw beautiful scenes of a falls on Little River.
Signs at the site told about history that has happened in this beautiful setting. Cherokee once lived in the area before they were forced to march west to Oklahoma on what has come to be called the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee called the march, “The place where we cried.”
When our family performed “A Walk Through Tennessee History in Story and Song,” we always included the story of the Trail of Tears. One time a mother came to us afterwards to tell a story that has passed down in her family. One of her ancestors was a U.S. soldier who was ordered to be one of the soldiers who accompanied Cherokees on the forced march to Oklahoma. Until his dying day, he regretted the role he had played in this sad part of our history.
I hope that he learned the truth that the grace of God is greater than anything we have ever done and that he found peace in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence
to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way
which He inaugurated for us through the veil,
that is, His flesh,
and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
let us draw near with a sincere heart
in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:19-23