To be honest, just the thought of vacation is a treasure… but taking even one day off (I’m taking two) in my college town area is AWESOME, like I’m putting myself into “parade rest” from my normal routine. Yesterday, after my many hour, very enjoyable, drive in brilliant sunshine 60 degrees (hey it’s not snowing), I sat on the porch of my friend’s family farmhouse and got covered in dog hair and cat hair… ah… rest… blessed rest…
The rest is stillness but not, it’s like watching the world turn but the things in it turn at a different pace. They move and so do you, but you can actually watch them instead of being full force doing your own thing with blinders on.
Arriving up to my friend’s farmhouse, in the backwoods of the hilltop, the dirt roads, the cows and barns were welcome sights. I’ve been here maybe 5 years ago (?). The maple syrup-ing sap lines were really cool. But the windmills were a SURPRISE – good thing this is desolate driving areas, they startled me! I stopped many times for pictures. Cool… but it does change the horizon image and nothing you can do about it, you don’t ‘own your view’…
Still, not still, windmills are novelty cool in my opinion, (a difficult future waste problem, but I digress), the obvious view I had was that they must have motors keeping them running at a certain speed, ready to move more when the wind ramps up. They don’t seem efficient effective power generators, but I’m uninformed for sure. They sure do keep moving!
That’s us too, we keep moving even at ‘parade rest’. We watch the world, we think, we dream, we appreciate everything or nothing, but it still moves. We don’t own our view but we do own our viewpoints. There is a fly just now buzzy in the sunrise window, doesn’t bother me, because there IS a sunrise. There IS a sun. There IS a me alive (and on vacation!). And there IS a God keeping all in motion. His Power Self-generated for sure, to hold us all and all in all, in His Love. That’s my view today.
So pause and pray sunny skies, praise moving life, spring springing, and dog hair too. Praise God for the understanding that what we see is beautiful, temporary compared to forever, but beautiful in the pause to praise. Treasure today, no matter what…
Keep moving, but REST (and reset) in the Lord! Then move again. Forever He blesses us. Keep Moving into His Rest.
Amen
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Debbie Upper 