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Published Wednesday, July 15, 2009 in Opinion

A great place to count your blessings

PINE MOUNTAIN -- There are no blooms, no autumn leaves of assorted hues that inspire you to write a hymn or sonnet -- or sing one -- at Callaway Gardens this time of year. A walk in the woods, however, still refreshes and reminds you that no place in our state has more of nature to enjoy.

Why don't more people come here more often? If you have the answer, let me know. Birds sing nobly among the flora as you become blissfully aware that no path at the gardens is littered, no signage offends, and none of the multiple attractions offer any affront.

The still waters of the lakes are becoming, comforting and compelling, and even more so when, suddenly beneath the waters of Falls Creek Lake, a bass rises up, waves his tail as if he is extending a personal greeting and dives below the surface. Ripples caused by his disturbance ebb and expand in perfect circular alignment and harmony until the flat and even surface of the waters returns.

Tranquility prevails at Callaway Gardens. Come here and you won't find a trail you don't like, a scene with an artificial blight or a blemished pathway. The only time the atmosphere experiences disturbance is when a thunderstorm passes through.

If you come here and take the time to count your blessings, you can find no better place to tally them up than at the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel.

It is small and cozy, like I have always imagined the "Church in the Valley by the Wildwood" to be. I began humming the verses of that wonderful hymn as I crossed the access bridge over a peaceful stream.

--

"There's a church in the valley by the wildwood, no lovelier place in the dale.

"No spot is so dear to my childhood, than the little brown church in the dell.

"Oh, come to the church by the wildwood. Oh come to the church in the dale."

--

The lyrics of that tune speak to the sights and sounds of nature. The Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel, surrounded by abundant nature, is where the United Nations General Assembly should convene. Perhaps our own Congress could gather here, except for the fact that there isn't room for so many bloated egos and self-serving proponents.

Here, there is motivation to meditate.

"Its beauty is in its simplicity and in its setting that entreats you to spend a few moments in quiet reflection," a brochure suggests.

There are 13 wooden pews in the chapel. The altar is a slab of rock. Nestled into the rock and stone construction are six beautiful stained-glass windows "depicting the Southern forest in a progression of seasons."

There is a lot of talk about God these days, and the religious objectives are often driven by aggression and intransient passion.

Muslims consider us infidels and want to rub us out. We worry about hanging the Ten Commandments in public facilities while we function contrary to its preachments. The rant of television evangelists is always accompanied by an 800 number where you can send contributions. Mega churches seem to be proliferating, and I take no exception to anybody wanting to render good on a large scale. After all, the church is an institution that should be able to accomplish plenty of good. However, if the preacher has an 800 number, I say beware.

The Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel, "reminiscent of 16th-century Gothic chapels" and encompassed by nature, is where I prefer to be. This intimate and inspirational edifice preaches a sermon of peace and goodwill even when no human voices are heard.

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