Living and resting

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

Psalm 91 v 1

Songburst

A few days ago, I was sitting outside grabbing a few moments peace and quiet when my attention was captured by a blackbird singing. He was sitting on top of the roof and sang for about twenty minutes. I looked all around but saw no other blackbird in the vicinity.

It occurred to me that the blackbird sings because he must -

not because of his audience;

not because his schedule said he should;

not because he gets paid to do so;

not because his neighbours or colleagues were doing so and he had to 'keep up';

not because its the right thing to do.

The blackbird sings because he is so full of song that it bursts out of him and he sings until that songburst is used up.

What things in my life give rise to a similar songburst?

How often must I 'sing' because the impulse is so strong I cannot resist it?

When did I last do something so spontaneous and free as a blackbird's song?

Stilte

Zolang er nog ergens iemand bestaat

met wie ik als mens kan spreken

vind ik ook wel een stilte

midden op straat

een stilte die niet kan breken.

Een kostbare stilte van zuiver glas

dat ik zelf

met mijn stem heb geslepen.

Als ik er niet was

en die stem er niet was

had niemand die stilte begrepen.

Maar als Hij er niet was

en Zijn stem was er niet

dan was er van stilte geen sprake.

Alleen maar van zwijgen,

zo hard als graniet

en dat kan je doodeenzaam maken.

Maar de stilte,

dat is een tweestemmig lied,

waarin God en de mens elkaar raken.

Written by Guillaume van der Graft

Worry

"Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life?
And why worry about clothing?
Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin;
yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these.
Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will He not much more look after you? ...
Set your hearts on His kingdom first,
and on His righteousness,
and all these other things will be given to you as well.
So do not worry about tomorrow:
tomorrow will take care of itself."

from Matthew 6 v 25 - 34

All in grace ...

"All (in grace) is of the same quality, though not of the same quantity. The drop of dew on the blade of grass is as truly water as the ocean."

Attributed to Hawker.

Quoted in The Gospel Standard Magazine, January 1874

Empathy

A friend once wrote the following lines to me:

"I walked alone this afternoon.
In the middle of a wood,
I stood
Against a tall tree
And watched
And felt as it moved with the wind.
I knew - had you been there -
It would have needed no words.
Others would never have understood
But you -
You would have known,
Would have felt.

Oh, how I miss you"

That empathy, that feeling of oneness with another is so rare. It is just as rare for me to find this connection with God and yet this is what I am looking for.


The stillness, the time to stand against an tree and watch and wait and listen, is a discipline that I am trying to learn. Once having experienced it, however, leaves a space, a gap, a longing for more.


Sometimes I think relationships are more about the spaces than the noise we share.

Early for Easter

Not just for once a year

but also for all those other births and deaths we experience,
especially in loving.

Out of death,

Life is born.

Dying is so painful

Especially this way of dying:

One's very heart being torn out,
poured out,
given out.
And I am invaded by the darkness
The aching and the emptiness:
Not feeling ...
Not knowing ...
Not wanting ...

And then I see the resurrection:
Life being born again
A different life - more glorious
- more real
- more lasting
A life that fills the void with joy
and peace
and love.
Love.

Love that was thought dead
Comes to blossom:
Opening out to glorify
The One who let the death
And gave the life.

Palms down, palms up

In our study group we have been reading Richard Foster's 'Celebration of Discipline'. In the chapter on meditation, the author talks about 'palms down, palms up'. This has left me with a very powerful image and a useful tool on the way to solitude.
Before I can come to God with open empty hands to receive, then I need to let go of all the things that fill my hands in the first place.
It helps me to think of the things that are stressing me or worrying me and to put those things into my hands. Then I turn my palms down so that everything 'falls out'. This brings a sense of release and readiness.
After this, I sit with palms upwards, to receive from the Lord what He is waiting to give me. My hands are open to receive what He wants to give. I just sit quietly and wait, without asking.
Sometimes it helps to repeat this several times.
I also appreciate Richard Foster's emphasis on the learning process. I am learning how to meditate and to pray and to study. I don't have to feel condemned by God because I have not arrived yet but, like a child, His expectation is only that I grow...

When things get tough ...

www.freefoto.com

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened ...

... and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Seems to me that there are three things to consider in this Bible text:

1) Jesus was brought up as a son of a carpenter and probably would have made yokes for customers. He would have known that it was important for the fit to be right - the easiest yoke to carry would be one that had been made specially for you.

2) A yoke works best when it is equally balanced. If one bucket is full and one is empty, then the yoke is no good at all and you would be advised just to carry one bucket!

3) Jesus was saying that the current yoke that the people were using was heavy but that he was offering an easier way of going through life.

So what do I do with these thoughts:

1) Jesus takes a personal interest in my life. What I go through, he can tailor-make to fit me.

2) It is important to review the balance in my life:

• work and play
• adventure and stability
• old and new
• faith and sight
• noise and silence
• movement and stillness
• looking back and looking forward
• joy and sadness
• doing and being

3) The world around us always seems to be adding to the responsibilities, decisions, burdens that we have to carry. Returning to Jesus unburdens us and gives us back perspective, lightening the load.

This is a picture of a London water carrier by the artist Lauren, which is the best picture I could find to demonstrate what I mean.