The Forbidden Woods

As a kid, my mom cautioned me not to wander into the woods alone. Unfortunately, I wasn’t always known to be the most obedient child.

Curiosity got the better of me and I decided a fun romp in the woods was just what I needed. We lived at the foothills of White Oak Mountain, and the forest touched the boundary line of our eighteen-acre farm. You think 18 acres would have been a treasure-trove of adventure for a little girl. The woods were forbidden and thus irresistible.

My Adventure Began.

I crept to the edge of the forest line of trees and took a tentative step. Then the next. I found my courage and started walking. The green canopy of trees was gently blowing in the breeze and the sunlight filtered to the ground. The air smelled of moss and damp earth. The scene was picturesque, peaceful. Squirrels danced and skittered from tree to tree. Birds called out their greeting. I wondered if I could find a tree to climb up.

I wandered deeper, enchanted.  

Fear in the Shadows

A tree branch snapped, and I turned to the sound, startled. I swore I heard growling. My mind raced with stories my dad told about bobcats. Could there be bears? Coyotes? Fear gripped me.

I turned to head home. But I was suddenly disoriented. Was this the right direction? Every tree looked the same. Panic bloomed. I hadn’t told anyone where I was. I stumbled through the underbrush, trying to retrace my steps.

But then, I heard a dog barking in the distance. Was that my dog? Even so, it still meant people close by. I pivoted and ran toward the sound. Eventually, I burst into a clearing I recognized. Relief flooded me. Scraped and scratched, but safe.

The Spiritual Parallel

Years later, my spiritual journey sometimes feels like that day in the woods.

We long for the mystical, the peaceful. We stand at the edge and take a tentative step. Then another. We grow bolder, exploring sacred terrain with wonder. But then, something snaps. A hard truth. A challenge to our beliefs. A silence that feels too long.

We lose our bearings. The sacred suddenly becomes shadowed. Fear grips us.

But then, something calls. A voice, a memory, a prayer. We pivot. We run toward the sound. And eventually, we find a clearing. Not the same as before, but familiar enough to remind us: we are not lost forever.

Coming Home

Navigating your spiritual journey can feel much like wandering through a dense forest. At times, you feel lost and unsure of your path.

After all, spiritual exploration is rarely linear. It’s a winding path through dense forest, full of beauty and bewilderment. But every twist and turn carries wisdom. Every moment of disorientation is an invitation to listen more deeply.

Even when you feel lost, you are not alone. The Spirit calls, albeit sometimes faintly, sometimes through barking dogs or broken branches. Trust the journey. It will guide you home.

God Is Present

Looking back, I realize that moment in the woods wasn’t just about disobedience or fear. It was my first real encounter with mystery.

I had stepped into a world that was beautiful and wild, where I wasn’t in control. I got lost. I didn’t find my way back through logic or planning. I was saved by sound, by instinct, by grace.

That pattern has repeated itself in my spiritual life more times than I can count.

There have been seasons when I’ve wandered into theological terrain. It felt thrilling at first. There were new ideas, new voices, and new ways of seeing God. But then something would snap. A painful memory. A question I couldn’t answer. A silence I couldn’t fill. And suddenly, I’d feel lost again.

I’ve learned that being lost isn’t a failure as much as it’s a sacred part of the journey. It’s where I’ve met God most intimately. Not in the clearings, but in the confusion. Not in the answers, but in the ache.

And just like that day in the woods, grace has always found me. Sometimes through a friend’s voice. Sometimes through a line of poetry. Sometimes through my own writing, when I didn’t even know I was praying.

As a spiritual director, I hold space for others in their own “lost in the woods” moments. I don’t try to lead them out. I listen for the barking dog. I listen for the Spirit’s whisper. I listen for the sound that says, You’re not alone. Keep going.

What moment has startled you awake in your journey? Did it shift your direction or deepen your awareness?

What does “trusting the journey” look like for you right now?

How do you recognize the Sacred in moments of fear, confusion, or silence?

“There is no way to get to transformation without disorientation. And Jesus’ life and words continually provoked disorientation in his followers, challenging their small views of God.”

~Anna Mitchell Hall

***A blog post I wrote for Wisdom Tree Collective. Rewritten and shared on my personal page with permission from WTC.

A newsletter by Katie Rea.