Still water, so still that without the perspective of the shoreline there was that illusion that it was possible to fall into the sky.
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
I can’t help but think of that verse when standing at this point on the lake on a day like this day.
Be peaceful, be quiet, be still.
Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park, January 29, 2010.
This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.
If you pay attention to my commands, your peace will be like a river.
Isaiah 48:17,18*
Peace like a river.
photos taken on January 24, 2010, McDonald Creek in Glacier National Park, Montana
*my edit of verse 18
My eager desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed, but that now as ever I may do honour to Christ in my own person by fearless courage.
Words of Paul in Phillipians 1:20 Moffat translation as used in Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest
My favorite photo from 2009, taken October 31 on the road home.
Karl and I walk down the driveway first thing in the morning and last thing at night. From late September through early March, these walks are in the dark…in the woods.
This week our walks have been by moonlight. This morning, a warm, rainy front is moving in with blustery winds ahead of it. The temperature was a warm feeling 46F and the wind through the pines felt dry and fresh.
It struck me this morning that I have never felt fear walking in the woods, in the dark. I’ve walked out to the eastern edge to look at the mountains in the night and down the driveway often. I am familiar with all of the creepy fairy tales, but for whatever reason they did not leave me with any fear.
These words of Brennan Manning are often near me and even more so this morning.
Let go in reckless confidence all that shackles you to yesterday, imprisons you in your own small self today and frightens you with the uncertainty of tomorrow.
I find it easy to walk in the dark, in the woods, in reckless confidence. I live much of my life with a spirit of reckless confidence and I’m grateful for that. As I thought about that, there was that flash of insight about at least part of my life where I have allowed fear to imprison me.
Moonlight is reflected sunlight. To photograph the moon, you need to understand that and set the camera accordingly, counterintuitve to typical nighttime settings.
To negotiate life’s scary parts, to go forward with reckless confidence – counterintuitive to past experience and failures – maybe my focus should be set on reflected Son Light.
Photos taken 11/6/2009 shortly after 6:00 a.m.
Calm me Lord
as you calm the sea,
Still me Lord
Keep me from harm
Photo taken 6/30/2009 5:21 a.m. from the edge of my woods
Words from the opening song of today’s Pray as you go .
Last evening, after I posted yesterday’s “Just one of those days”, Karl and I went for a walk. I was thinking a blast of fresh “Spring masquerading as Winter” air would banish my doldrums. I almost always enjoy being out once I get out, even if conditions are not wonderful and last evening was no exception. We dawdled around our loop and it felt good but also just a bit more of tiring. Whether Karl was feeling the same or picked up on my feelings, he followed me into the house – a bit unusual as he would normally get a treat and pick a spot in the yard to munch and watch. I took the cue and said, “Let’s just go to bed” and we did! Bob NEVER has objections to going to bed at any time of day. It was 6:45.
I slept well. Bob and Karl were quiet all night so I assume they also slept well. Fresh start on a new day.
I listen to a Jesuit produced podcast called Pray as you go in the morning. The podcasts start with music which varies from Gregorian Chants to contemporary to African Monks chanting with what I call a tribal beat. A verse of scripture is read. The Jesuit group that puts this together is in Britain and most of the readers have a Celtic lilt and accent that seems to put a soft serenity into the readings and the questions that follow. The questions are along the lines of “how did that make you feel” and “what did you notice” but with some specificity to the reading.
Today’s scripture was from Exodus and was a short couple of verses where the Israelites are complaining about the wilderness and its lack of good food, conveniently forgetting that they were, in fact, rescued from persecution. Their take at that moment is more “out of the frying pan and into the fire” and they are pretty blunt with God and Moses about their dissatisfaction and impatience. I believe this was near the beginning of their 40 years in the wilderness so they had a bit to go out there.
But, the “make you think” question in the podcast – the thing that really hit home to me, was “What are you impatient about?”. It made me sit up straight, take notice and think. On the tail of a day where everything seemed “wrong” although nothing really was, it hit me that it was impatience with things of no real importance in the overall scheme of life that was at the root of my out of sortness. As is so often the case, a slight change of perspective changes my outlook and my “in feel” and the world seems right side up once more.
Impatience – it has its plusses and minuses. A certain amount of it has been very good in my life. I don’t wait for conditions to be perfect to try something or do something so I’ve had opportunities for which I am very grateful. It is the impatience with the niggling things that often are beyond my control that causes me grief of my own making.
Today, I am rested and well. I have good work. I live in a place I love. I have friends and family. I have a dog and a cat. I am a beloved child of the great Creator. I have all I need and more. Life is truly good.
