A Scenic Deer Scene in the Healing Land of the Shenandoah Mountains
Submitted by Candi Miller (as-told-to Krista Roman)
I think what it comes down to, is expecting nothing, yet getting more than you had ever hoped for. Those precious moments of time, when we get a glimpse of His peace and stillness and get to sit in it as well. It fills me with so much emotion thinking about the morning I woke up early, from sleeping at the mountaintop lodge.
I didn’t bother to wash my face, brush my teeth or my hair. I grabbed a cup of coffee from the Keurig machine in our cabin room, and bolted out the door. Every second that ticked by was another second the sun was using, to rise above the mountain.
I eventually found the sun and its morning debut, but I had no place to park and enjoy it. So, I turned around and zoomed back to the Big Meadow, on the mountaintop.
I found myself alone, in this vast expanse on the mountain. I hiked to a spot, along the path, to sit and enjoy the gentle rise of the new morning sun and the fresh and gentle breeze blowing through the meadow grass.
Anytime anyone has ever asked me what I would want to do in heaven, I say, I want to run in a meadow with high grass. (I am terribly allergic and cannot do this Earthside.)
This moment…this moment, is something I don’t even have words for. I just sat there. I let my mind go blank, and I fully embraced, becoming a part of everything around me. I am not sure if we get more than one of these moments during a human lifetime. It was His peace. His beauty. His love. His glory. His magnificence.
As I quietly sat and took it all in, a deer silently approached, grazing on her morning meal. I already had my camera out and focused on the sun dancing over the meadow, as she came into frame. She was surprised to see me, but there was complete harmony and understanding. I wasn’t a threat and she knew that. It was as close to heaven as I could get, still being alive, and I am sobered by this extraordinary moment.
The quiet solitude soon vanished as people started to arrive at the car park. She went on her way, as did I.
I shall carry these treasured moments for all my days, because I went expecting nothing, yet was given everything I didn’t know I needed!
Candi Miller resides in Northern Indiana with her husband of 23 years and has three grown children. Her great passions in life (besides her family), include collecting and creating curated stories with antique and vintage home goods. From this passion, she created her business “It’s So Candi,” twelve years ago, so that she could stay home to raise her children and use the gifts God had given her.
Candi is all smiles with her loving family.
As her children grew up, she eventually took on work for a local shoppe as their retail designer/storyteller. But it was in the past year, that Candi set aside her creative endeavors to devote her time to healing from a concussion she endured as a young person.
Candi’s gift for beautification is exemplified through her home decorating.
“Last October, I could not walk without excruciating pain. My trip to the Shenandoah Mountains and my time spent hiking there is nothing short of a miracle. The treatments and healing that I have been given during the last nine months gave me my life back,” Miller said.
Candi and her daughter explore the Shenandoah Mountains together.
Prior to 2020, she was not a YouTube or podcast listener. By happenstance, she found Quite Frankly and now counts herself as a proud member of the new media landscape.
“I have been a free thinker and a political junkie for as long as I can remember. When I found the show, I felt like I had come home to my people. In the beginning, I only listened to the audio. I thought Frank was a man in his fifties— so articulate and wise. When I finally downloaded a streaming platform, imagine my surprise! It still makes me chuckle,” she recalled.
A doting Mom. Candi proudly spends time with her son.
Miller says that she would be lost without Quite Frankly and she’s honored to be a part of its growing community of listeners.
“I think I would go crazy if it were not for Frank and the Quite Frankly broadcast. Finding someone who shares the same beliefs and is able to bring levity, sound mind, righteous anger, and brilliant commentary in this whacked-out timeline, feels like a cozy shelter from the storm,” Miller expressed. “All we want, is to have honest, down-to-earth people, who live normal, everyday lives that we can relate to. Frank delivers all of that and more. The careful curation of guests and dialogue is unmatched. I send my sincerest thanks and gratitude, to each of you, who make this production a possibility. I send all my love from Indiana.”
Connect with Candi! You can follow Candi’s Instagram @ItsSoCandi, a place where her creativity lives and breathes.