Each
morning, in our moments with the Lord, we enter His rest and submit our daily
schedule to Him. We leave our prayer closet with His joy, as He leads us
forward with His peace. Even the mountains and the hills break into singing,
and the trees of the field actually clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12).
When
I initially read that verse, I relegated it to a millennial experience that I could
look forward to enjoying. However, in our first year here at Valier First Baptist,
we joined our new church family on their annual time of fellowship at a local
campground.
They
call this activity-packed week-end, "Kamp Koinonia", or "Kamp K"
for short, because the purpose is to camp out, eat together, and fellowship
with our Body of Believers. This loving church family uses every opportunity to
come together in worship, fellowship, and outreach into our community.
On
the way to the bathroom facility across the street from our community hall at
the campground, I paused for a moment of rest and solitude to enjoy the beauty
of this unseasonably cold, spring day. Rooted to the ground, I stood in the
moment, feeling the cooling breeze on my face.
Experiencing
the warming rays of the polka-dots of sunlight filtering through the trees, I
listened to bird songs lilting through the leaves that fluttered in the breeze.
Suddenly, a strong thud sounded in the not so distant woods.
At
first, I thought it was the human sound of an ax, and I almost dismissed it, until
God's Spirit redirected my attention. Then, the rhythmic clunk really peaked my
interest. There was a hidden blessing in this resonance to which He was directed
my awareness.
I
focused on the sound and wondered at its origins. I asked the Lord what might
be causing it, and He showed me two tree limbs embracing in the wind. They were
clapping together with pure delight, worshipping our Creator.
Tears
of wonder streamed down my face, as I started singing a praise song in my mind
that fit the drumming staccato of the branches. I was one with nature, in that
moment of time, as we gave full devotion and adoration to our Father God.
I
reveled in those moments, continuing to praise the Lord with the two limbs,
until the wind shifted and the branches swayed, rather than clapped their
hands. I wondered how often this phenomenon occurred in nature, but our
busyness prevented us from hearing it.
I
vowed to sit in nature more often, especially since even my neighborhood is
full of the beauty of God's creation. My husband and I added nature watches to our
dating routine, and frequently visit the Rend Lake's recreational area to enjoy
God's presence together in His beautiful creation of nature.
Prayer:
Father
God, how often we take Your blessings for granted, overlooking the wonders that
You prepare for us to experience. Teach us to be more mindful in our moments of
time, so that we can receive all that You have arranged for us to enjoy. We
thank You that You did not allow our birth on this earth to happen by chance,
but that You have a perfect plan for each of us (Ephesians 2:10).
We
want to fully experience Your presence in us and surrounding us - both now as
well as in eternity. We look forward to our marriage with our Bridegroom - Your
Perfect Lamb without spot or wrinkle. We look forward to experience Your beauty
throughout eternity.
Thank
You for purifying our thoughts, emotions, words and deeds until You can see the
reflection of Your face in us (Malachi 3:2). We vow to work out our own
salvation, as You give us both the desire and the power to do so (Philippians
2:12-13).
Thought
for the Day:
Even
if the mountains are removed by volcanoes, and the hills are shaken with
earthquakes, God's loving devotion will never, ever depart from us, and His
covenant of peace will not be broken, because He has great compassion on us and
all of His creation.
-
Isaiah 54:10
