A river and a bird
I recently discovered a park close to my house that has become a haven of sorts for any time I feel the need to connect to God and nature, which happens to be almost every day. Well, I should correct myself, since I owe the "discovery" to several friends of mine who pointed out the beautiful piece of land literally right around the corner from my place. It is comforting for me to have somewhere where I can head to almost any time I want, and upon arriving simply sit and listen. Listen to the water, open my ears to the songs of many species of birds, try in an instant to take it all in and let it all go.
There is one particular day in the park that speaks to me, a day that constantly arises from my memory, moving from the past to the present in an instant. Upon gazing at one part of the river, I noticed several small steps on the opposite bank, leading from the gravel walkway and into the river itself. I ventured to the steps, and sat upon one of the lowest seats, and set my eyes upon a spot where the river rushed past, over, and through several rocks. I allowed my mind, my entire train of thought, to move with the water, but remain upon that one spot. In that instant, I felt God speaking to me, and I in turn needed to speak back. This is what I wrote in my journal:
"Lord, in the massive torrent that rushes by, I feel every ounce of it in you, and you in it. Moving, coursing, pulsing, such is Nature and such is you, its beloved Creator"
I think the reason that human beings are so drawn to great bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and oceans, is the depth of metaphorical teaching we can gain from them. When trying to consider the notion of an eternal God, and more so of eternity itself, we are left confused and speechless. Yet, God does the talking for us. In watching the river flow continuously and endlessly, I did not have to think of eternity, because I was glimpsing it with mortal eyes. God is moving, ALWAYS moving. His spirit is ALWAYS passing through us, and through the world around us. His passion, His grace, His love, has SO many places to be that we should count ourselves blessed that we are allowed to experience it. Such is the beauty of God, but still just a glimpse, for in that same moment God spoke to me in another way.
Upon hearing a call, my stare was stolen from the water and straight into the trees ahead of me. A cardinal, colored a shocking shade of red stood perched among a crowd of trees. While the water rushed by my feet, this bird stood still and looked intently in my direction. Oh wondrous perspective in its many forms! For God reminded me that although he is unwavering in his quest to move, He has his heart set upon us in the present moment. It is a difficult subject to comprehend, and I find it difficult to put into words. Sometimes, to me anyways, it feels like every incalculable notion of Christianity, every item that is discussed, thought over, debated upon, all these things are like a massive river that we cannot fully grasp.
Yet, haven't we all had those similar instances of incredible simplicity in our faith? Those moments when this great God, the God of the universe who created the heavens, and crafted every last corner of the Earth with His power and might, steps from the throne to share a moment with us. In those instances, while held firmly in his grasp, He reminds us what lies at the core of our faith: Love. We are reminded that God so loves us at all times. This love is so immense and so powerful that I am often drawn to tears upon a simply memory of God revealing it to me. We are given these moments so indeed they may be utilized by our memory. Our emotions are always changing, so as humans it can feel impossible to always be connected to God's love.
It feels as though we are trapped in a room where we are not meant to be. The room can be cold, or sometime a fire is lit in the corner and there is warmth. Sometimes we are alone, other times we are surrounded by friends and family. Sometimes we are bored, while other times we have too many distractions to even count. Yet in a moment, God can open the door to this room. If we sit and we wait, we will see the knob turn and then maybe it pops open just a crack. And then, gasp, the colors that lie outside! The light and the energy, the unwavering love that pours into the stale air of the room. Then, as quickly as it came, it is gone. But this time we are left knowing what lies waiting for us when we leave. We even begin to notice when some of it leaks in through a crack in the wall, or maybe a window is opened ever so slightly. We know when things are different in the room than before, because we have seen the glory of the other world, what exists outside of everything we comprehend. We are left with this precious memory to hold onto, to remind us always.
All this from a river and a bird, I know, its a stretch. But if I am to offer any sort of advice to people, something that has helped me immensely, write these moments down. Look deeply into what God is showing you. Cherish these moments until the day when you won't need them any more. I shudder in anticipation of this day.
There is one particular day in the park that speaks to me, a day that constantly arises from my memory, moving from the past to the present in an instant. Upon gazing at one part of the river, I noticed several small steps on the opposite bank, leading from the gravel walkway and into the river itself. I ventured to the steps, and sat upon one of the lowest seats, and set my eyes upon a spot where the river rushed past, over, and through several rocks. I allowed my mind, my entire train of thought, to move with the water, but remain upon that one spot. In that instant, I felt God speaking to me, and I in turn needed to speak back. This is what I wrote in my journal:
"Lord, in the massive torrent that rushes by, I feel every ounce of it in you, and you in it. Moving, coursing, pulsing, such is Nature and such is you, its beloved Creator"
I think the reason that human beings are so drawn to great bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and oceans, is the depth of metaphorical teaching we can gain from them. When trying to consider the notion of an eternal God, and more so of eternity itself, we are left confused and speechless. Yet, God does the talking for us. In watching the river flow continuously and endlessly, I did not have to think of eternity, because I was glimpsing it with mortal eyes. God is moving, ALWAYS moving. His spirit is ALWAYS passing through us, and through the world around us. His passion, His grace, His love, has SO many places to be that we should count ourselves blessed that we are allowed to experience it. Such is the beauty of God, but still just a glimpse, for in that same moment God spoke to me in another way.
Upon hearing a call, my stare was stolen from the water and straight into the trees ahead of me. A cardinal, colored a shocking shade of red stood perched among a crowd of trees. While the water rushed by my feet, this bird stood still and looked intently in my direction. Oh wondrous perspective in its many forms! For God reminded me that although he is unwavering in his quest to move, He has his heart set upon us in the present moment. It is a difficult subject to comprehend, and I find it difficult to put into words. Sometimes, to me anyways, it feels like every incalculable notion of Christianity, every item that is discussed, thought over, debated upon, all these things are like a massive river that we cannot fully grasp.
Yet, haven't we all had those similar instances of incredible simplicity in our faith? Those moments when this great God, the God of the universe who created the heavens, and crafted every last corner of the Earth with His power and might, steps from the throne to share a moment with us. In those instances, while held firmly in his grasp, He reminds us what lies at the core of our faith: Love. We are reminded that God so loves us at all times. This love is so immense and so powerful that I am often drawn to tears upon a simply memory of God revealing it to me. We are given these moments so indeed they may be utilized by our memory. Our emotions are always changing, so as humans it can feel impossible to always be connected to God's love.
It feels as though we are trapped in a room where we are not meant to be. The room can be cold, or sometime a fire is lit in the corner and there is warmth. Sometimes we are alone, other times we are surrounded by friends and family. Sometimes we are bored, while other times we have too many distractions to even count. Yet in a moment, God can open the door to this room. If we sit and we wait, we will see the knob turn and then maybe it pops open just a crack. And then, gasp, the colors that lie outside! The light and the energy, the unwavering love that pours into the stale air of the room. Then, as quickly as it came, it is gone. But this time we are left knowing what lies waiting for us when we leave. We even begin to notice when some of it leaks in through a crack in the wall, or maybe a window is opened ever so slightly. We know when things are different in the room than before, because we have seen the glory of the other world, what exists outside of everything we comprehend. We are left with this precious memory to hold onto, to remind us always.
All this from a river and a bird, I know, its a stretch. But if I am to offer any sort of advice to people, something that has helped me immensely, write these moments down. Look deeply into what God is showing you. Cherish these moments until the day when you won't need them any more. I shudder in anticipation of this day.
posted by Matty | 5:24 PM
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