Into the forest

He decided to avoid the paved road and instead chose to tread through the forest to reach the village on the other side. What would have taken long time by road, he decided to cover in half the time. It was only three o’clock and the remaining daylight illuminated the surrounding areas. Birds chirping, squirrels running, leaves rustling were the only sweet sounds heard. With no regrets, the man walked further through the deep and serene forest.

 A couple of hours later, an eerie silence encircled save for the distant howl of a wolf. What ostensibly seemed alive was now haunted. The leaves had gone asleep, the squirrels had gone home, and the chirping of the birds had ceased. The daylight quickly receded with darkness enveloping the endless forest. A great anxiety took over the man’s mind. He could neither return nor proceed further. Helpless as he was, he involuntarily looked up and made a Sign of Cross with his hand.

He looked around carefully and saw a streak of dim light. He waded through bushes and trees and reached a small hut. He called twice, but could hear no response. He gently pushed the door and peeped in. Surprisingly there was no one inside. At the corner there was the tiny lamp shedding light. There was no sign of anyone living there. It was an empty hut with a lamp. He waited for an hour hoping someone would turn up. Tired as he was, he fell asleep on the mud floor.

 At dawn, all seemed to be back as it was when the man initially set out in the forest. The sound of birds filled the air and the squirrels played on the green grass. The man woke up, wondering how he came to be at the hut. He looked around to see where the lamp was, but to his shock, the lamp was missing.

Confused, he went to the corner, where the lamp was, only to see a Sign of Cross etched on the floor. It dawned on him then, that the lamp he saw in the previous night and the cross seen now signified Lord's presence in answer to his prayer. With a grateful smile, he continued to walk towards his destination.