“Dark Forest” by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd ©2020. All rights reserved.
Crooked trees, bent and twisted like arthritic fingers, and snarly branches woven into unfriendly shapes, frightened Melissa.
“How do I get to the other side of the forest?” Melissa asked herself, as she pondered which of the three trails to take. The more she stared at the weed-covered paths, the more frightening each one appeared.
Melissa didn’t want to cry, but the tears came anyway. She didn’t know what to do. She was all alone and more scared than she had ever been in her entire life. Out of desperation she called, “Jesus help me.”
The tears kept falling, but her anxiety lessened. A gentle breeze encircled her. Calmness came upon her. In a faint whisper she heard, “Do not be afraid. I AM with you.”
“Jesus?” she cried.
Melissa spun around to see Jesus Christ standing next to her. “Jesus!” she cried, and gave Him a big hug. “I am so glad you are here!”
“I AM always with you, though most of the time you don’t see ME.”
“Thank you for letting me see you today. I really need help. I have to cross this dark forest, but I don’t know how.”
Jesus gently placed His Hand on her shoulder. “I AM the Light in the darkness. I will help you. I will show you how to avoid the quicksand, how to go around the snake pits, and how to stay away from the mountain lion den.”
“Quicksand! Snake pits! Mountain lions!”
In a calm voice, Jesus said, “We will stay clear of these. I will protect you.”
Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. Then she asked, “Is there a river in this forest?”
“Yes,” Jesus replied. “There is a wide river that’s too deep to walk across.”
“But I don’t know how to swim!”
“Trust ME.”
“I want to trust you, Jesus, but I’m afraid.”
“Do not be afraid, Melissa,” Jesus said in a kind and gentle voice. “Though no bridge has been built over the deep waters, I will safely get you to the other side.”
“How?” she asked.
Jesus smiled. “I’ll show you when we get there.”
“What happens when we get thirsty?”
“There is a mountain spring with good, fresh water. I will show you where to find it, steer you away from the poisonous plants, and point out the safe places to rest along the way.”
“Will I have to climb any rocks?”
“Yes, Melissa. There is a huge boulder field in the middle of the forest that we will cross. At the end of the field is a hill of slippery shale. I will show you how to walk on the rocks without twisting your ankles, and how to climb the mound of moving stones.”
“Will the trail be easy to follow?”
“No, Melissa. There are sections of the trail that are overgrown with thorny bushes. We will hack our way through these. And there is one section that is completely blocked by fallen trees.”
“Will we climb over these?”
“No,” Jesus replied. “The trees branches are so entangled, they would trap you within them. We will go around this roadblock.”
“How?”
“We will blaze a new trail. Don’t worry, I AM a great trailblazer!”
But Melissa was worried. She asked, “What do we do when we get hungry? I don’t have any food.”
“I know which plants are edible and where to find them.”
“How long will it take to cross the forest?”
“It will take as long as it needs to take, Melissa. Be encouraged. I AM with you and I know how far you are able to walk before needing to stop and rest. Let me set the pace. We will arrive on the other side of the forest at the right time.”
“This isn’t going to be easy, is it?” she asked.
“Important things in life are never easy. This is a journey of discovery to help you learn how greatly I, Jesus Christ, care about you, how capable I AM to help you through each and every situation, and how able you are to overcome every obstacle as you trust in ME. This adventure will strengthen you physically and spiritually. It will grow your faith in ways you can’t even imagine!”
Melissa pondered Jesus’ words for a few minutes, and then she asked, “When do we get started?”
Jesus smiled, and stretched out His Hand.
Walking through a dark, scary forest is what we face in this coronavirus pandemic. But we don’t need to face it alone. Jesus is with us, and HE is eager for us to lean on and trust in HIM.
NOVEL: If you would like to read a different story about a divine adventure story that’s a full-length novel, Lynn’s Miracle on Swordfish Dock is now available as both an e-book and a paperback on Amazon.com
VISUAL ART: If you would like to see a large image of the illustration called “Light in the Dark Forest,” that Lynn created to go with "Dark Forest" story, go to FineArtAmerica.com
MORE ENCOURAGEMENT STORIES: If you like reading short inspirational stories, Lynn sends out a FREE encouragement email once a month, that includes art. Click here:
Crooked trees, bent and twisted like arthritic fingers, and snarly branches woven into unfriendly shapes, frightened Melissa.
“How do I get to the other side of the forest?” Melissa asked herself, as she pondered which of the three trails to take. The more she stared at the weed-covered paths, the more frightening each one appeared.
Melissa didn’t want to cry, but the tears came anyway. She didn’t know what to do. She was all alone and more scared than she had ever been in her entire life. Out of desperation she called, “Jesus help me.”
The tears kept falling, but her anxiety lessened. A gentle breeze encircled her. Calmness came upon her. In a faint whisper she heard, “Do not be afraid. I AM with you.”
“Jesus?” she cried.
Melissa spun around to see Jesus Christ standing next to her. “Jesus!” she cried, and gave Him a big hug. “I am so glad you are here!”
“I AM always with you, though most of the time you don’t see ME.”
“Thank you for letting me see you today. I really need help. I have to cross this dark forest, but I don’t know how.”
Jesus gently placed His Hand on her shoulder. “I AM the Light in the darkness. I will help you. I will show you how to avoid the quicksand, how to go around the snake pits, and how to stay away from the mountain lion den.”
“Quicksand! Snake pits! Mountain lions!”
In a calm voice, Jesus said, “We will stay clear of these. I will protect you.”
Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. Then she asked, “Is there a river in this forest?”
“Yes,” Jesus replied. “There is a wide river that’s too deep to walk across.”
“But I don’t know how to swim!”
“Trust ME.”
“I want to trust you, Jesus, but I’m afraid.”
“Do not be afraid, Melissa,” Jesus said in a kind and gentle voice. “Though no bridge has been built over the deep waters, I will safely get you to the other side.”
“How?” she asked.
Jesus smiled. “I’ll show you when we get there.”
“What happens when we get thirsty?”
“There is a mountain spring with good, fresh water. I will show you where to find it, steer you away from the poisonous plants, and point out the safe places to rest along the way.”
“Will I have to climb any rocks?”
“Yes, Melissa. There is a huge boulder field in the middle of the forest that we will cross. At the end of the field is a hill of slippery shale. I will show you how to walk on the rocks without twisting your ankles, and how to climb the mound of moving stones.”
“Will the trail be easy to follow?”
“No, Melissa. There are sections of the trail that are overgrown with thorny bushes. We will hack our way through these. And there is one section that is completely blocked by fallen trees.”
“Will we climb over these?”
“No,” Jesus replied. “The trees branches are so entangled, they would trap you within them. We will go around this roadblock.”
“How?”
“We will blaze a new trail. Don’t worry, I AM a great trailblazer!”
But Melissa was worried. She asked, “What do we do when we get hungry? I don’t have any food.”
“I know which plants are edible and where to find them.”
“How long will it take to cross the forest?”
“It will take as long as it needs to take, Melissa. Be encouraged. I AM with you and I know how far you are able to walk before needing to stop and rest. Let me set the pace. We will arrive on the other side of the forest at the right time.”
“This isn’t going to be easy, is it?” she asked.
“Important things in life are never easy. This is a journey of discovery to help you learn how greatly I, Jesus Christ, care about you, how capable I AM to help you through each and every situation, and how able you are to overcome every obstacle as you trust in ME. This adventure will strengthen you physically and spiritually. It will grow your faith in ways you can’t even imagine!”
Melissa pondered Jesus’ words for a few minutes, and then she asked, “When do we get started?”
Jesus smiled, and stretched out His Hand.
Walking through a dark, scary forest is what we face in this coronavirus pandemic. But we don’t need to face it alone. Jesus is with us, and HE is eager for us to lean on and trust in HIM.
NOVEL: If you would like to read a different story about a divine adventure story that’s a full-length novel, Lynn’s Miracle on Swordfish Dock is now available as both an e-book and a paperback on Amazon.com
VISUAL ART: If you would like to see a large image of the illustration called “Light in the Dark Forest,” that Lynn created to go with "Dark Forest" story, go to FineArtAmerica.com
MORE ENCOURAGEMENT STORIES: If you like reading short inspirational stories, Lynn sends out a FREE encouragement email once a month, that includes art. Click here: