This place is holy ground.

I know what you may be thinking.  "That looks like an old train bridge. It doesn't appear to be holy at all.  And its not even ground.  In fact you aren't even suspended above ground.  That's water, that is.  And please don't tell me that you actually walk on that thing."  You would have a point but the truth is you would be wrong.  This is holy ground.  This is where heaven meets earth and God talks to his people.  Or at least talks to me.  And the sun always, always shines here.

This sanctuary was discovered by accident.  One day I followed an old set of train tracks.  It is more difficult than you might expect because railroad ties are not spaced evenly apart, or at least these are not, and walking the rail takes more coordination than I have the patience for. As you take each, uneven step with care, the surroundings seem to slip away and the journey to the holy place begins.  Even in the midst of a park with baseball diamonds near, something feels different. 

Soon you come to a tunnel.  Its an underpass, really, and you can hear the cars pass overhead.  The metal walls and ceiling reflect the sound of your steps back to you and the tracks begin to sink into the mud.  At the far end of the tunnel trees and bushes seem to block your path until you spot the narrow footpath into the brush. You realize that you are not the only pilgrim who has traveled this way.  As you step into the bushes you feel as though you have stepped into another world.  The tracks have all but disappeared and the ground falls away on either side of you.

It seems that every step becomes more and more overgrown and difficult to navigate. Several times trees have grown up in the path and you are forced to circle around.  Finally you pass one last set of trees and it lies before you.  The bridge.  It is a place of peace, a place of rest, a place to commune with the creator.  It is not so far secluded that you cannot hear the cars on the road you walked under, but theirs sounds are muffled and distant.  Fish swim the water beneath your feet and deer occasionally come for a drink.  It is a place of stillness.  The air is fresh and each breath is full and begins to calm the pitter-patter of a rabbit-heart.

There was something about this place today.  Something so much more significant than it ever had been. Perhaps because I came here, alone, with the sole purpose of prayer.  I prepared my heart to meet with God on the way and by the time I reached the bridge, I felt the need to remove my shoes and feel the sun-warmed planks beneath my feet because this was holy ground.  Too often I talk with God without preparation and it seems rushed, unsatisfying.  Today was slow and as I stood up to leave, I felt filled.  I prayed for my church and our building; for my future and the decisions I need to make; for babies recently born and those still on the way; for relationships and guidance. I got no answers, but I did find peace, and a little Vitamin D, and that is enough for me.