I love this time of year! Spring is nice, and I love it, too, but Fall has a beauty all its own. It’s a very calming beauty, for me. The sun reflecting off all the golden hues on the leaves and plants gives a “warm-ness” to the air that you can almost feel! I love it!
I went for a walk last evening, up to my favorite spot to think and pray nearby our home. I walked along the edge of one of the soybean fields and up through it, on a path made in the soybean plants by water draining off the field. I stood there in the middle of the field for a long, long time, watching the sun set behind it and looking up into the clear, blue sky that seemed to go on and on. It was one of those moments that I wish could last forever! The wind was very cold as it rushed and rustled through the trees, played with my hair, and made all the little plants dance for joy, and it made me appreciate my nice warm coat even more! (yes, *ahem* for “that” person [you know who you are], I do wear coats [even bulky ones] in extreme circumstances :) )
I’m going to go out and take another little walk to my “spot” tonight, too. I love to go out running, as well, but when everything around me is so beautiful, I feel like I’m missing out on it if I run by it instead of just walking! :)
I was reading in Lamentations last week, and have been mulling over these verses from chapter three a lot in the past few days.
Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him;
It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Lam. 3:22-26
I often tend to think of my little struggles as “exempt” from having to be surrendered to the Lord, because they are just that: little. (compared to others who are struggling with things a lot more serious than me). However, the Lord has been showing me that He is allowing these “little” struggles to teach me how to trust Him; how to wait for Him. I asked Him over and over to take it away. But, He has taught me that if I practice giving these things to Him now, then when more serious struggles and temptations come, I will be able to stand up under them better.
So, :) this is what the Lord has been teaching me! What about you? What has He been teaching you recently???
One of my favorite passages. Never gets old.
I, like any young man, have projects or plans that would like to do. And sometimes I tend to go faster than the Master’s plan. The Lord knows the time when things are best for me.
A verse comes in mind when I realize… maybe I’m running too fast. Maybe my Lord wants me to wait a bit more.
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Psalm 27:14
Kourtney, that’s so neat! I love moments like that!
It’s special that even though He already knows what’s going on, that He still wants to hear from us! I don’t often pray out loud to the Lord at home, because I want it to be me talking to just Him, but if I’m out walking by myself (and I’m sure that there’s no one else around :) ) I love to pray out loud. I had a similar “moment” one night at camp this year, when I had some things that I just needed to talk to God about. I told my girls to go to bed, and that I would be back a little later. I went into the chapel and just prayed and prayed. It was so quiet in there (except for me talking of course :) ) and it was such a refreshing time! The Lord calmed my fearful heart in a way that I hadn’t imagined possible. I’m so thankful for His faithfulness to me! We serve an amazing God!
Great post, Bryant! That passage is so beautful and encouraging. Especially the part about faithfulness. The Lord is teaching me to be faithful to Him right now. I stuggle so much. Often I rebel and I run off and away from Him, but He always is there to pull me back into His loving arms.
A few weeks back (actually, it was probably a month or so ago) I went on a walk early in the morning. It was foggy and beautiful! I walked far enough into the fog so that I couldn’t even see our house. Then I talked with God and walked with Him. I usually pray quietly to myself, but at that time I spoke out loud. It is so different, praying aloud. However, it was wonderful speaking to the Lord and knowing that it was just me and Him. Sometimes I didn’t even speak. I just stood there silently and marveled at His Creation. He is so loving! He pleasures in giving us gifts of salvation, creation, family, friends, love, peace, hope, faith, and love! Even after we have strayed from Him and trampled on Him. How good God is to us! Great is His faithfulness!
“Morning by morning new mercies I see!
All I have needed His hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”