One of the most popular and fun outdoor skills courses we used to offer was the “Wild Edible Plant Weekend.” Folks really loved the transformation from looking out at a sea of green to actually seeing individual plants and learning how to identify and use them. It is amazing how many things are right before our eyes that we do not see until someone shows us how to truly look.

About eighteen years ago I attended a “Wild Edible Plant Weekend” at the Nature Awareness School. It was my second class on the mountain. During the weekend class Del took us on a walk to identify some of the specific plants we were learning about in class. The group of us came to a patch of Plantain. Del was describing how much he loved this plant and how many uses it had medicinally. You could just feel the love he had for this little plant in his voice as he spoke about its benefits. He then picked a few leaves to show us some of the details. The leaves were a shinny dark green with parallel veins found on the under side. As he was holding them in his hands I began to see a golden glow of light start at his hands and ascend up to his arms! I watched in awe! I wondered if I was seeing things — I blinked and rubbed my eyes. Nothing had changed except the golden light began to glow brighter and brighter! I looked around and noticed that no one else was seeing what I was singularly honored to see.

I filed this experience away but did not forget how it had touched my heart. I continued to process, on my own, what the experience really meant. I knew what I saw was real and that it had really happened. This was at a time in my life that I was hungry to learn more about the Divine and the Love of God. I had read in scripture that God has love for all of us and for all living things.

The next class I attended I spoke to Del of my experience with the golden light. He very simply said maybe it was God’s Love coming through him. Since I was the only one that saw the golden light I felt very grateful to have such a personal gift. I believe the gift was personal because I have always had a special love of plants, flowers, and trees. It was years later that I also learned more about Del’s spiritual connection with the Divine as a Prophet of God and the real reason I was so blessed that day. This was my first understanding many years ago of the Love of God being expressed in golden light.

Written by Nancy Nelson