Much to my parents dismay, I developed a habit of taking off on my own at a very early age. When something caught my interest or when I simply thought about going somewhere, I just went. It never occured to me that I should't do this, or to be afraid...I always came back when I was finished.

The Wisdom Tree was hidden in a wonderful place. Some distance from my grandparent's house, the pasture turned into acres of dense woods. Crawling through the briars one day, I came to an opening which contained the largest tree I had ever seen. The tree had great roots twisting above the ground, forming a perfect, protected chair at its base.

Nearby, a small underground spring formed the beginning of a creek which flowed around the area. In the stream, I found pollywogs, turtles, small minnows and strange little organisms which I had not seen before. I wondered how the minnows got there, how they could come from underground through the spring. I watched the strange little life react when I touched it, then just float in a state of bliss when undisturbed.

Sitting in the chair, I could look up through the massive branches of the tree to the sky. I imagined that God was there, and He could see me in this special place. I believed that He could tell me anything I wanted to know here, and I asked Him about many things.

Soon, I would go back to the house and join all the cousins in the fun of childhood games. We would play until exhausted, anticipating my grandmother's cooking, soon be spread across the great table in the dining room. Later, as I drifted to sleep, I listened to the night sounds I was not accustomed to...and thought about The Wisdom Tree.

I did not tell anyone about The Wisdom Tree, it was my special place. Looking back, as an adult, I realized that there had been many real dangers near this area. There were snakes, an occasional panther, wolves and other forest animals...but, never, in all the years I visited, was there more that an occasional squirrel or rabbit in this clearing.

Perhaps this place was protected. Perhaps it was I who was protected while visiting there. Perhaps God did tell me many wonderful things...