The rock skidded down the side of the hill and landed in the glimmering blue water below. Just minutes earlier, I had laid down next to my best friend, Amy, and the rest of the youth group, surrounded by God�s wonderful nature. We were in Canada eh, alone on a deserted island in the middle of a wind-chopped lake. The lake surrounded us, pushing gently against the walls of the island, lapping up onto the rocks.
The earth sparkled after the evening�s rain, refreshed and renewed. Trees glittered with leftover raindrops that had escaped the warm rays of the setting sun. It smelled like a new world had evolved from the natural tears. Soft blankets were spread across the hard rocks, offering some comfort to our throbbing muscles as we gazed at the star-struck sky. Natural lights sparkled above and provided wonder and amazement to our tiring eyes. You could taste content and clean air, both brought about by rain that fell down like God�s grace.
Canoes clanged up against each other, swaying with the waves. Voices lifted up in the air, created by inspiring mouths and longing hearts. Gasps were heard all around as a bright star zipped across the darkened sky. Interrupting our sudden gasps was the hoot of an owl, a contrasting sound against the silent night.
I sat up slowly, gazing around at the many Christians who surrounded me. Suddenly I was brought back to a time where I first experienced this wonder, this sense of belonging.
Warmth swirled around me as I hugged my knees close to my shivering body. The aroma of ashes came from the fireplace nestled in the front of the room. Nervously, I sat there rocking back and forth on the cold tile floor, not sure what to do, to say, to think. Someone placed a warm, comforting hand on my back, and I felt a peace slowly enter me, filling me with its presence. It calmed my nerves and allowed me to harmonize my voice with the rest. �Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that You�re my God.� My voice went from inside my heart, up my throat and out of my praising mouth. Suddenly, the song was ended. I glanced over to where the music had once been coming from and stared at the tall, scruffy Indian man who had produced the harmonic melody. He stood up on his limber legs and asked the group a question that meant the world to me. �Who here has become a Christian in the past week?� Along with others, I raised my trembling hand tentatively, afraid of what some might think. He asked us to stand up, and then we were surrounded by prayer from everyone around us, asking God to give us courage and strength to live for Him. A warmth filled me inside, one that would never leave me.
A loon hooted in the distance, jolting me back to the existing world. Looking at everyone around me, praying in their own world, praying for worries, happiness, joys, I realized how far I had come from first accepting Jesus into my heart. Tears fell softly down my face, but these were tears of happiness. Amy settled beside me and held me close as we prayed silently in the cool night air.
I could hear soft whispers. All kinds of whispers. The swooshes coming from the trees, the grass, the wind. But I could also hear the whispers of people like me, praising God for all He is worth.
I raised my face to the heavens and sang along with the few who had continued the inspiring melody. The words spun around us, entering our ears and our hearts. Voices quivered on notes they couldn�t reach, while basses rumbled with the deep, vibrating notes only they could produce. A soprano voice rose up above us all, claiming the night with her wonderful melody. Birds chirped all around us, as if singing along and worshiping God themselves.
Finally, it started cooling down. Goosebumps pricked my skin, creeping from my legs to my arms. I shivered slightly, and I could feel Amy�s arm tighten around my shoulders as if to contribute some of her heat. Hugging her, I thanked God she was my friend. Some of the youth group stood up and stretched with their arms out wide, anticipating a good night�s rest. The few that remained outside gazed upon the man in the moon, his sad face looking back at us as if he felt he couldn�t experience the joy we could.
I stretched my eyes to the sky. A final prayer escaped my lips before I left the serenity of the rock. Standing up in a painful fashion, Amy and I wandered over to where we had staked our tent. While opening the flap, we were sprayed with drops of dew that had settled upon the opening, and we let our laughter ring out across the land. A musty smell crept from the small opening. Crawling inside, we settled quickly into our warm sleeping bags, comforted by the soft cotton that gratefully massaged our aching muscles and warmed us like the rays that had shone from the sun. Before I fell asleep, I prayed silently, thanking God for everything He had provided for me that day. Closing my heavy eyes, lyrics circled in my head, reminding me of God�s love. �I love you more than the sun, and the stars that I taught how to shine, you are mine.� Before I knew it, I had settled into an exhausted sleep, not to wake until morning, filled with the warmth from above, the warmth that will never leave me.