Be still.
Recently my wife and I camped on the Okanagan River in Southern British Columbia. We spent a wonderful 2 weeks stepping out of our daily routine, waking up to a hot cup of coffee overlooking the rushing water, packing a few snacks and heading off on a trail for the morning to see and discover many things that we called "trail treasures" - a gold finch, bright pink lily pad blossom, blue heron and rows of grape vines that will produce a mellow chardonnay. As we walked along the river we came across a conservation volunteer who was working on a major project. She explained that in the 1930's, for irrigation purposes, the river was turned into a straight channel and they were now restoring it to its' natural condition, so that wildlife and fish would flourish. This would involve adding boulders, river bends, islands of gravel and sand, fallen trees and the like. These obstacles allow for the river's flow to slow, without becoming stagnant. In these pockets new life forms, insects appear on the surface, minnows arrive to eat the insects, larger fish are attracted to minnows, frogs and turtles have a place to hang out and so forth. Without these still spots in the river, life often doesn't grow or thrive.
In my own river of life there are times when the still water does not exist. I get so busy with daily activities, some as mindless as watching TV for hours on end.
Jesus knew the importance of creating times of stillness in our lives when he said to his apostles, "let's go off to a quiet place and rest a while." Mark 6:31. "He said this because there were so many people coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat." As I read this verse, I realize that, we too can be bombarded with many things that occupy our time, especially technology which keeps us connected 24/7/365. I can also recall our own dinner times that seem to last only a few minutes before everybody splits.
To know the Lord more, I am realizing the importance of slowing down the flow of things in my own life, making moments to just be still and more aware of His presence in all of creation. To make this happen I will have to be more deliberate about placing a few extra "boulders" in my own path.
Let's take a moment right now to spend some quiet the Lord.
Recently my wife and I camped on the Okanagan River in Southern British Columbia. We spent a wonderful 2 weeks stepping out of our daily routine, waking up to a hot cup of coffee overlooking the rushing water, packing a few snacks and heading off on a trail for the morning to see and discover many things that we called "trail treasures" - a gold finch, bright pink lily pad blossom, blue heron and rows of grape vines that will produce a mellow chardonnay. As we walked along the river we came across a conservation volunteer who was working on a major project. She explained that in the 1930's, for irrigation purposes, the river was turned into a straight channel and they were now restoring it to its' natural condition, so that wildlife and fish would flourish. This would involve adding boulders, river bends, islands of gravel and sand, fallen trees and the like. These obstacles allow for the river's flow to slow, without becoming stagnant. In these pockets new life forms, insects appear on the surface, minnows arrive to eat the insects, larger fish are attracted to minnows, frogs and turtles have a place to hang out and so forth. Without these still spots in the river, life often doesn't grow or thrive.
In my own river of life there are times when the still water does not exist. I get so busy with daily activities, some as mindless as watching TV for hours on end.
Jesus knew the importance of creating times of stillness in our lives when he said to his apostles, "let's go off to a quiet place and rest a while." Mark 6:31. "He said this because there were so many people coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat." As I read this verse, I realize that, we too can be bombarded with many things that occupy our time, especially technology which keeps us connected 24/7/365. I can also recall our own dinner times that seem to last only a few minutes before everybody splits.
To know the Lord more, I am realizing the importance of slowing down the flow of things in my own life, making moments to just be still and more aware of His presence in all of creation. To make this happen I will have to be more deliberate about placing a few extra "boulders" in my own path.
Let's take a moment right now to spend some quiet the Lord.
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