Unspoiled Beauty

Dan and I spent four hours walking a trail that took us to a beautiful view overlooking rolling mountain peaks and ending at a small mountain cabin, near a (cold) spring pond. The peaceful sounds of the mountain were a welcome change for us today...the sound of babbling creeks and an occasional bird call accompanied us on our journey...we followed deer tracks along the trail and stopped to take pictures of the native foilage and flowers along the way. As we approached the cabin, the sound of a male bullfrog filled the stillness and with each short shower of rain the peeper frogs joined together in a song of happiness. Dan being the teacher that he is, explained the purpose of the plants we found growing on the banks and along the creek. There was edible "branch lettuce", which grows at the head of a spring and "ramps" that grow on the hillside and are a type of garlic bulb. There were, of course, all types of trees, hickory, buckeye, yellow maple, locust, birch,..and plenty of wild rose vines on the trail...ferns were in abundance also. There were the "stinging nettles" growing along side the "water plant", which Dan explained was the cure for getting "stung" by a nettle plant. He made the observation that God had provided a "cure"(the water plant) for the pain, near the "cause"(the nettle plant) of the pain.
This made me think of the scripture in I Corinthians 10:13,
..."but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
Also stated in this way, "...but you can trust God. He will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to endure it."
What a beautiful thought...God has already made provisions for our escape when we find ourselves in the clutches of temptations...just as this forest floor offered the "cure" near the "cause"...we need only to reach out and use it.