Tucked away in the
north Georgia mountains sits a small, gray cabin with a maroon horseshoe porch.
To me, this plot of land is a diamond in the rough. Although from the outside
it doesn’t seem like much, but the true meaning lies within the plot of land
surrounding the building. The sloping land is always a lush, bright green, even
in the winter, which is unusual in Georgia. At the back of the property, the
ever flowing Cartecay River is rushing by. This hideaway on the Cartecay River
is the perfect place to get away from everyday society and the place I go to be
one with God and the world he created for all of us.
Arriving to the cabin is, at first,
quite deceiving due to the fact that you must drive through a run-down trailer
park before you get to the road, West Rivers Edge Drive. If you’re pulling up
West Rivers Edge Drive in the early morning, you are most likely going to see a
few Angus cattle lining the back fence of their property and the smell of cow
manure will fill the car momentarily. My father, who grew up on a farm calls
that smell, “the smell of money.” As you
continue to drive down West Rivers Edge Drive, you have to drive cautiously or
else you might hit one of the twenty or so feral cats that call the nearby land
their home. These cats will blur by you in shades of orange, gray, white and
black fur. As you drop down a hill to
the wooded area near the brink of the cabin’s driveway, always keep your eyes
peeled for the white tailed deer that occasionally run across the road. When
you finally reach the top of the driveway, you always have butterflies
fluttering in your stomach you get the feeling of suspense as if you were
reaching the top of a rollercoaster that’s about to drop. The excitement and
beauty of what is to come is overwhelming.
Wearing shoes is optional, but I
always run through the cool grass barefoot. The feeling of the soft blades
between your toes and the fresh, earthy smell that fills your nose makes you
feel like you could stay in that moment forever. The things to do there are
endless and always tons of fun. The usual weekend retreat to the cabin includes
swimming in the Cartecay, floating down the river in a tube, fishing off the bank
and playing corn hole in the backyard. There’s never a dull moment at the cabin.
At night, our campfire is always glowing and flickering shades of reds, yellows
and oranges. You can inhale the scent of burning wood as it crackles in the
flames. If you’re up for some
excitement, flying through the property on the Ranger, which is like a golf
cart on steroids, is the best thing to do. It’s always a blast having the wind
whip your hair in every direction and flying out of your seat as you go over
the dips and bumps throughout the yard.
The cabin has so much to keep you entertained and having fun all day
long, but the best parts for me don’t involve the material items that most
people enjoy. My favorite things about the cabin are abstract.
The excitement and fun activities to
do are fantastic, but in the mornings when the grass is still wet with dew and
the sun is barely peeking out is the best time to be outside. These beautiful,
cool mornings are there to remind me that God is everywhere I look. These quiet
mornings, where the only sound is the Cartecay running only feet away from the
swinging bench you’re sitting on, are what make the cabin seem like the cheesy
saying, “a slice of heaven.” Even though it seems corny, it’s so true for me. I
never thought the cabin my family bought only two years ago would mean so much
to me. Whether I’m sitting on the swing reading my Bible or fishing off the
sandy bank while the sun is starting to rise I know that I’m with God. These
mornings, that I’m blessed to be a part of, I can think about all the wonderful
things God does for not only me, but the world in general. He has so many
precious gifts in nature that in today’s technology obsessed society are easily
overlooked and forgotten about. During my early morning devotionals, everything
around me is present to let me know not only how God is everywhere I go, but
how fearfully and wonderfully I’m made. It’s a lot like the poem called,
“Footprints,” which I read for the first time at my cabin on a canvas what was
left by the previous owners, describes how God is always there for you. I think
about that poem on these mornings. I think about how when I only see one set of
footprints through my life, that God was there carrying me through it. He will
never leave my side.
The cabin is a wonderful place. Some
people can drive by a place like this and not think twice, but this spot is my
secret hideaway on the Cartecay River. When I’m here I can escape from the
society I live in and focus purely on my surroundings. You can simply feel
God’s presence and build your relationship with him just by sitting by the
water. God is everywhere, which means he’s even there when you’re constantly
texting on your phones, but you can feel him with you and appreciate all he’s
done for you when you set the phone down and enjoy nature. It’s amazing how such a small cabin and with a
plot of land can make such an impact on life and your walk with God. All it
took for me was an hour drive from my house to the North Georgia mountains and
my relationship with God became stronger.
