Heligfjall - in opposite season

Some days I look around at the world we live in and I see injustice and greed, hard times and hunger. My grief is so much that I don't want to let it go and allow it to wash over me. At those times I loose sight of God. I don't see His Hand in the things around me. I strangle our connection by choking down on my own emotion.

But there are certain days, and special places on the Earth, where God's Power, Her Stamp on things, is suddenly able to open me and to crowd all my disillusionment out. 

Eva & Per’s home at Heligfjall is one of those places.

What was in winter a magical wonderland of white, crisp beauty, is now transformed into a rich colourful feast for the senses.

The sun is shining 24 hours a day and the landscape is a palette of vibrant greens, sprinkled with wildflowers of every colour of the rainbow. 

Birds are singing and the air is alive with bugs, mosquitoes, and insects of every kind. Big bumble bees weigh down flowers on their moving feast amongst a living bouquet. 

In the woods by our cottage –the place last winter we called our ‘church’ for its still, quiet beauty that felt ethereal and earthly all at once – the neighbour has seen a mama bear and her two cubs.

But perhaps most striking of all is the smell. Fresh mountain air is mixed with sweet aromas of new growth of spruce and pine trees, blooming grass and fresh flower. It blends together to create a scent akin to honey. I find myself wanting to drink the air!

Everything in God’s creation shouts ‘life’ and ‘growth’. As man still struggles for dominion everywhere on earth, here at least it is evident that God and Her Creations are full of love and are a force of great power.

We are spending our days exploring the land and talking with Eva and Per about their Learning Centre plans. We are harvesting wild greens for our salads and smoothies, and sharing with visitors interested in this area.

The community here is sustained by logging and the common summer pastimes are hunting and fishing. We are discussing ways to regenerate logged land and create a safe haven for all kinds of wildlife. Some of the local youth are already interested in this idea for an ‘eco park’. Ideas on how to serve this community in northern Sweden are on all our lips often. I love that about our stay.

July 2012

The same spot in January 2012!