One afternoon this summer, I had an incredible encounter with God. The day was July 27, 2008. I recorded it in my journal almost immediately after, and I wanted to share it since it taught me so much – this is it below, exactly word for word. The italicized things are things I have added so make it more understandable. Hopefully you can learn something from it, like I did!

I’ll start off by giving you a little info about where I live so you understand what I’m talking about. Behind my neighborhood there is a bike path that goes down a hill, across a creek via a little wooden bridge, into a forest, and eventually comes out in Essex Park. My brothers and I went down there all the time when we were younger, playing Pooh Sticks ( if you don’t know what that is you are a deprived childJ) and such in the creek. You really can’t hear any cars or anything back there – it’s very peaceful.

Wow. God is amazing.

So my mom told me to go out and take a walk or something. I didn’t really want to. I went upstairs to play piano but didn’t want to do that either. So I thought ok, I’ll go on a walk. So I grabbed the camera (I like to take pictures when I’m just walking around) and my phone and iPod and took off.

I was listening to Miley Cyrus “I Miss You” (I know, I know, but sometimes when you have a song stuck in your head you’ve just got to listen to it) and thinking about my Grandpa Joe (who passed away several years ago). I got to the cal-de-sac where the bike path is and there was a guy washing his boat, and his dog was there. The dog ran up to me so I petted it. Then I set off down the path. I had the sudden urge to take my shoes off. So I did. When the song was over, I turned my iPod off. I just walked and looked and listened.

Then I got to the bridge. I went to one side, and the water was slow and murky, not like I remembered it. Then I went to the other side and it was a babbling brook! It was like a visual of life before sin, and Jesus, the bridge to babbling new life! I went down under the bridge and stood on the rocks in the water. I wanted to go down stream but there wasn’t really a way to get there with my shoes (I was wearing flip-flops).

Then I had the sudden thought of walking on water (to go downstream). I knew what Peter must’ve felt like. Deep down I knew that anything is possible with God, but I was still a little wary and like, “Really?” It was an incredible moment. (When I say I think I knew what Peter must’ve felt like, I mean that I may have understood more what Jesus was calling him to do when He told him to walk on the water – it was a tremendous act of faith. Peter was standing in a huge body of water where he could’ve drowned – I was standing in a creek where the water was only a few inches deep. And I was still scared!)

So I went up from the water and headed on down the path towards the forest. I saw a woodpecker on the way and some red leaves. When I got to the woods, I decided to turn around and go back. I picked a little daisy on the way back.

I went back down into the water. I sent the little daisy down the river. I went back up.

One my way back, shoes off, I looked up and suddenly saw a doe on the path ahead. It took my breath away. I walked slowly towards it. It eventually heard me and looked up. We stared at each other while I took little, baby steps toward it, not knowing when it would move or how to get around it. (This was actually really terrifying – what if it didn’t move? Are deer aggressive?) Then it gently pranced away.

I walked in awe. Slowly, reality began to set back in. I heard voices, noises, met a lady and her dog coming down the path. I put my shoes back on and thought, “the only thing that could make this better would be a rainbow.” Then I thought, who am I kidding? I don’t need that – I already know that God is real.

I walked over the hill and was greeted by the dog who greeting me on the way there. Then it began to rain.

What an amazing time. I saw so many plants, and animals – birds, bugs, deer! I felt like Snow White. I definitely felt God’s presence very close. His creation – I saw it in a new way. It was so beautiful Thank you God for blessing me with everything I have and allowing me to have a personal, amazing relationship with you.

“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.”

-Genesis 1:31

“And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”

-Matthew 14:28-31