Selah
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For thus said the Lord God, the holy one of Israel,
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength."
But you were unwilling.
Isaiah 30:15
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Recently I spent some time with my grandchildren.
Verne is the older brother, Abigail is the middle sister, and Natalie is the youngest sister.
While we were at the playground Abigail told me that Verne was a superhero and she was a princess.
When my step-sons were young we used to play the game Risk.
I only played it one time before noticing that the entire game was made up of conquering other places.
There was no strategy for quietly moving into a place and then living in peace.
These are the things that came into my mind as I read this verse from Isaiah.
When I was in high school one of my assignments for an earth science course was to study a very small
section of the woods for an extended period of time.
The goal was that by the end of the semester you would have gathered valuable information about
a 3 foot section of earth.
I would go to this place of mine periodically for almost a full year.
I think it was one of the most powerful things I've ever learned and I still carry those lessons with me.
I noticed things that grew so slowly I hardly even noticed there was any growth at all
until one day what had once been a tiny seed was a flower...and then a seed again.
I noticed ants and tiny creatures and the footprints of larger creatures,
I noticed my own footprints.
I noticed trees that dropped leaves and acorns and pinecones...sunlight and shadow.
I became aware of a world other than my own.
It was filled with wonder and beauty and life and death and rebirth.
I became aware of a stillness and a reverence within my own self.
But those things were only noticeable cable in stillness and in rest.
It's not that I think superheroes and princesses don't have a place.
I just think that they don't have to be our endgame.
There is a place for returning and resting, a place for quietness and trust.
We can rest in who we are...who the Lord made us.
With that comes a simple knowledge of the heart and a beauty that knows no bounds.
What a beautiful post for today. I think this this something we all should do, whether in high school or not. I wonder if this is what gave you your love of nature, and how you show it to the children...
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful experience you had, and I lament the dearth of empty minutes in our grandchildren 's.lives. So much content always being pumped into their brains with no time to notice a small seed or a fallen leaf.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful experience and life lesson! I did something similar with my children when they were young and it was a valuable perspective. Whatever our calling, may we experience the quietness and rest in our souls that comes from trusting God.
ReplyDeleteThese are some of my favorite verses. So thankful for the rest and quietness we can have with Him.
ReplyDeleteThat was a good assignment your teacher gave you to be still in the woods for a period of time. I don't think teenagers visit nature as much as they should, as they are always busy with other things. Your photo is my world now, and sometimes I just sit and gaze and am in awe of the nature that surrounds me. Such lovely words you have posted today.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the end of the Summer days. : )
~Sheri