Burnt out Forest- Christine Ellis

In my travels to British Colombia, I've seen many terrifying and beautiful things. There is one picture that will never leave my head. Driving to Invermere, a tiny town on a lake, I passed a huge forest that had been burned by a massive wildfire a year ago. It was so eerie, it reminded me of the prayer that says "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death". The trees, now charcoal shells of what they used to be, looked like sad streaks of black paint through the clear azure sky. It was completely quiet, though I knew there must have been wind and animals making tons of noise within the forest. To me though, I felt as if my heart turned to ice and I couldn't hear or say anything. It was so devastatingly sad. I drove for miles and miles, the picture was the same. The trees looked like they were in mourning, lamenting the loss of their leaves, their moss, and all the tiny lives they held in their branches and hollows.
Just when I was beginning to feel really depressed, I saw up ahead that the forest sloped up the side of a mountain. Carved into the mountain was a gorgeous waterfall the exact azure color of the sky. It was so beautiful, I had to get out and explore. The waterfall was connected to a huge, raging river that cut through the burnt forest like a shiny ribbon. As I got closer,the water was so clear, I could see the stones at the bottom, round and smooth as eggs. I stayed there for about a half an hour, just taking pictures and gasping at how beautiful it was. I was just about to leave when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I had been so distraught at the black trees against the sky, that I hadn't even noticed all of the tiny green shoots unfurling on the forest floor. I looked around and found so many small signs of life strewn throughout the black ash. It was one of the most hopeful moments I've ever experienced. I've never been sure if God exists or not, but in that moment, I felt like the place had been touched by some merciful hand.