All Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2022 by Jim Robbins.

Oak Tree

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   FINDING A PATH

Path by River

   As Nathan was waking up from a dream one day, he heard a voice that stated, "Find a path to God."
   Nathan drove his car out to the foothills and decided to turn off onto a dirt road. He came upon a magnificent oak tree and parked the car. The oak tree emanated a peace beyond understanding, so Nathan continued hiking deeper into the woodlands, and he soon found a path to a river.

Lupine and Poppies by River

   Lupine and poppies were flourishing on both sides of the river. They too were part of the same tranquility.

Frog by River

   Everywhere he looked, Nathan found frogs on the rocks. Some were clinging face-down as though gazing at the water or the ground.

Newt by River

   He occasionally found newts on his path. They seemed to ignore him, but some recoiled if he stepped too close.

Snake by River

   Then Nathan found a snake warming itself on a rock by the river. Nathan felt blessed that he had found a place unmolested by humans.

Squirrel by River

   As he continued hiking down the path, he found a squirrel on a rock by the river. The squirrel was attentive but seemed unafraid of him.

Bluebird by River

   Then Nathan found a bluebird on a rock near the river. Nathan inched forward to get a closer view, but the bird didn't fly until he was about three feet away.

Swallowtail Butterfly by River

   As Nathan continued on the path, he came upon a swallowtail butterfly in the flowers. The butterfly didn't seem afraid of him at all. He came within a few feet of it, but it still didn't flutter away. Nathan did his best not to disturb the butterfly, and it didn't fly away the whole time he stood nearby.

Turkey by River

   Then Nathan found a turkey near the river. He was startled because the bird appeared at first to be a miniature dinosaur, but then he remembered that birds, according to some scientists, had evolved from the dinosaurs.

Wild Boar by River

   Nathan was even more surprised when he encountered a wild pig, which seemed just as surprised to see him. The pig gazed at him for a while and eventually bounded away.

Bobcat by River

   As Nathan continued on his path, he encountered a bobcat by the river. The bobcat simply turned and loped away. Nathan suddenly felt a strong connection to the bobcat even though he had never felt any connection to cats before.

Goldfinches by River

   When Nathan encountered a flock of goldfinches by the river, he suddenly had the sense that each species he had encountered was part of a unique angelic oversoul as though each individual in the species was a facet of one overarching consciousness.

Coyote

   A few minutes later, Nathan wasn't afraid when he encountered a coyote, which gazed at him a long time and finally slowly turned and disappeared into the forest.

Western Tanager

   Nathan was overjoyed to find a Western tanager on a rock by the river. Nathan at that point was sure that his theory was correct: the bird and the lupine and poppies were each part of an oversoul, but he began to suspect that each angelic oversoul was part of a larger oversoul, a spirit of place that was aware of all of the creatures in its domain.

Badger by River

   Nathan was surprised to see a badger next to the river. He had never encountered a badger before. The badger seemed aggressive at first but stopped before it attacked. It just gazed at Nathan for several minutes as though trying to figure out what kind of creature Nathan was.

Lazuli Bunting

   Nathan then came upon a lazuli bunting, which had always been one of Nathan's favorite species of birds. It sang the whole time Nathan was near it. Nathan suddenly sensed that each creature and each oversoul were facets of one Universal Consciousness. Then he had the overwhelming sense that Universal Consciousness was seeing the world through him.

Bear by River

   A bear suddenly lumbered across the path. Nathan was afraid for a moment, but the bear just continued on its way across the river.

Mountain Lion by River

   As Nathan continued on the trail, he had the strange feeling that he was being watched by a mountain lion. He unbuttoned the sheath of his buck knife and a minute later encountered a mountain lion by the river. The mountain lion's tail flopped back and forth as it gazed at him. Nathan slowly backed away and returned to his car, looking over his shoulder now and then. He had found a good path.

Continue with Nathan on his journey.