by BobA. Troutt
*****
Dead Limbs and Leaves
When God Was Silent
At the breaking of day, the dove cooed high in the Skulley Ridge Mountains between Tennessee and North Carolina as the sun slowly appeared. Skulley Ridge was no more than a stretch of mountains locked in the Smokies that crossed over into two states. It was a place where daylight winked through the peaks and the early morning kissed the ray of light. The sweetness of the fresh mountain air twirled in the wind, driving the fragrance gracefully through the valley. Once where the smell of night lurked from the darkness, the smell of fresh fallen rain now sweetened the air.
It is said that daylight is when the morning sun first appears through Taylor’s Gap. From there it filters across the Smokies into Tennessee. Giant timbers emerge from the land, standing tall amongst the rushing streams, rolling hills, and miles of dark hollows. The small but quaint community of Willow Brooks in Gifford County is a nice tourist town. You can find souvenir shops, restaurants, and bargain barns there. It is the last town you will find before crossing over into North Carolina from Tennessee. High up in Taylor Gap is a small clearing called Sycamore Shade. The tall timbers meet an open clearing there. For miles the roaming meadow enhances the mountains with a floral beauty, babbling brooks, and tall grasses. Above the timbers, in the distance, you can see white snowcapped mountains asleep for the winter. In the spring the snow melts and feeds the meadow below.
Also, at the edge of the tree line sits a little cabin. It is the home of Amos who lives alone. Years ago when he was traveling through the Smokies he came across the clearing, bought it, and settled down. He wanted to get out of the hustle and bustle of the fast city life. Amos was an old man. His body was bent from a crippling walk and his walk wasn’t as true as it once was. His hands were drawn in a bit, especially at the fingertips. Amos’ snowy white hair waved in the mountain wind. His eyebrows were as black as coal and his voice wheezed a slight. His deep soft voice came in from deep in his chest as he gasped for a breath. Amos had lived in the little cabin for at least forty years. He loved life and his solitude. But most importantly, he loved the Lord. The clearing was his place of peace and many times he found the Lord there while relaxing from the day. “Lord,” he would say, “are you there?” Patiently, he would wait and within a few minutes a twist of the wind would caress his hear. Then he would wait a few more minutes. “Lord, I’m here,” he would say as he smiled. “I guess you can already see that.” He would then feel the warmth of the sun upon his face and lay back and enjoy the day.
It came to pass when the Black-eyed Susans were in bloom. Summer would soon end. The cool breeze of autumn would settle in the clearing. Summer had been mild. August would soon pass and September would come. The fall colors and the crisp air would transform the clearing into a time of rest. Amos also needed a time of rest. His strength wasn’t the same as when he was a young man. His hands shook and his sight was nearly gone. He was a humble man who loved the Lord. There was no doubt about that he loved him with all his heart. He loved the Lord’s beautiful handiwork. The different seasons were so breathtaking and overwhelming. He felt in his heart that the Lord had even planted the weeds in the right spot. The Black-eyed Susans were his favorite. He loved the smell of a new autumn, the burning of leaves, the smell of fresh cut wood, and watching the fireplace snap and pop on a cold winter nights. Amos would always chuckle to himself when he referred to the clearing as the Lord’s backyard. Even though he loved it all, the Black-eyed Susans held a special place in his heart.
The clearing was special to him. It meant a lot, but he knew in his heart there was nothing compared to that Heavenly home up above. The Lord had been good to Amos. He’d be the first to let you know. The harvest had been bountiful; the crops had been full and plentiful. Amos told the Lord, it had been a good year. I guess you would say Amos was a man without want. He was content and happy just sitting on his porch and enjoying the sight. The brilliant colors of reds, yellows, oranges, and light greens dressed the rolling hills. “Autumn, autumn,” he would say, “is my favorite season you know.”
Then one night the darkness sent a bitter chill into his room. As the darkness fell Amos fell sick with the flu. His body was weak and trembled as the fever moved in. The bitter chill, chilled him to his bones. He’d had spells before, but not this strong. Suddenly he cried out unto the Lord, “Please help me, my Lord. Are you there?” But there wasn’t a reply. He cried out again, “Oh, Lord, please don’t forsake me I pray.” God remained silent. Amos didn’t hear from the Lord. Amos waited in complete love, trust, and faith. Time soon passed and he laid in want. But, his faith stood bold and he believed in the Lord. But the days went by, he laid broken and lost, for the needs of his wounds and spirits was more than he could bear. “Lord, Lord,” he cried again, “I need you now more than ever before. Why, oh God, why have you turned away?” With his trembling hand he wiped away the tears. “I thought I was so strong, Lord,” he said. “But, I have found that I am weak and I am so afraid.”
The black-eyed Susans soon faded and died. The passing of fall turned over to winter. The frigid mountain air rushed in overnight driving the temperatures down to record lows. Winter may have quickly captured and paralyed the life in the clearing, but Amos stood bold and steadfast in his faith with the Lord. He believed that even if he didn’t overcome it he would still be better off with his Lord. Although he kept the faith, sometimes he would waver and think to himself that he was all alone. It had seemed so long since he heard from the Lord. He prayed but it didn’t get above the chill in the air. There were times he held truer in his beliefs, but he still would fall short and be weak. He tried to keep the faith and be strong in the Lord, but the enemy of darkness lurked at the cabin door. He rested in his heart and spirit for he knew the Lord had been there before. Amos knew the Lord had pulled him through and there was no doubt. The Lord knew what was best he thought, as he shoveled a hunk of coal into the fireplace and he used the light from the fire to make his way to the door. Amos had made up in his mind that the enemy of darkness would not keep him down. He was going to keep his faith and trust in the Lord until the breaking of dawn. A cold breeze shot through the crack in the door and extinguished the light of the coal as Amos cried out, “Get behind me, Satan,” I pray, “for God is my true light that will guide me true.” The fire snapped and popped as a little black smoke filled the room. Carefully, Amos made his way back to his bed.
Winter had sat hard that year. The bitter cold and snow had made it nearly impossible to travel. The tall timbers that barricaded the clearing had broken open with heavy snow and ice while the chilling temperature hovered over the clearing.
Amos kept his faith and the Lord still remained silent. Although Amos’s faith at times hung from a thin thread, he never gave up on hearing from the Lord.
In the spring the melting snow soon filled the creeks. As time passed the warm breath of the Lord turned the chilling bite of winter into the sweet smell of the early spring blooms. Slowly, spring began moving in, pressing winter out. The tall timbers had shed the chains and shackles of winter, the ice and snow. The tall grasses that once were embedded in heavy snow were free again and waved once more. Amos now laid flat on his back. He could hardly move, but he still held on for an answer from the Lord.
Soon the spring rains passed and summer arrived bringing in the heat. Amos was up now, but still weak and trembling as he walked. But, the things in the clearing didn’t mean as much to him as times before. The joys of the flowers were gone and the breath of summer didn’t set well. Something was wrong. The flowers were not as fragrant and the grass didn’t wave briskly as before. Even the tall timbers that stood so brave and bold seemed weak and his patience and faith was nearly gone. He looked up toward the sky across the rigid mountain skyline. He looked to see if there was a sign from God. But in the glittering smoky haze o
f the mountain, he saw nothing and he cared not to look anymore. All he could hear was the cooing of a dove. He turned slowly, dropped his head, and mumbled under his breath, “Lord, Lord.”
By the close of summer Amos was up and about. September came as August passed. Amos walked down the trail near his cabin where he came upon a bunch of wild black-eyed Susans. The first he had seen in a long while. Suddenly, there came a soft breeze and the Lord spoke in a whisper on the wind.
“My child, I have not forgotten you. For when you were weak I was your strength. When you were tired and suffered, I cradled you in my arms. Those moments when you believed you walked alone, I was the light that guided your steps. I remained silent my child because it hurt me to see you in so much pain.”
“Amos bowed his head and cried, “Lord, Lord, please don’t leave me again.”
“I pray, my son,” said the Lord. “You’ll never walk alone again. It’s time to come home.”
Amos listened about in the clearing once more. He heard hundreds of doves cooing and a floral fragrance he had never smelled before as he told the Lord, “I believe you’re right, Lord. It’s time and I’m ready to come home.”
