We missed church this morning. Ted needed to get some bush hogging done
before the storm came in and I had goats to milk and extra chores to do before
out of town guests come to stay for a week.
After a quick breakfast of
nothing but string cheese, we both headed out the door to our respective
assignments. A couple three hours, two
quarts of milk, and lots of filled and dumped wheel barrows later, I was ready
to call it quits so I took the 4-Wheeler out to see what Ted was up to.
He was still on his tractor, bumping along in one of the cow
pastures. I checked in with him and then
sped off to the “bootleg”; a narrow section of land we own along the river, to
see how it looked after Ted mowed it. I
always get excited when he mows the bootleg, since it is one of my favorite
places to ride. There’s nothing better
than riding my horse along the cliff and looking down at the rapids and
swirling pools of the Illinois Bayou, flowing right through our farm.
After my inspection, I could not help but head over to the
path Ted cut the other day through the woods to the river’s edge. For the first time ever, the path is wide
enough and clear enough to ride our 4-wheeler right up to the rocky area we
call our “beach.” Once I was at the
“beach” of course, I was simply compelled into the water, clothes and all. How could I resist the gentle sound of
flowing water calling out my name?
I waded for a few feet till it was deep enough and then just
dove right in. Ahhhh…..What a cool,
fresh and wonderful feeling. I looked
about me and marveled at how I was completely and totally alone in the middle
of nowhere, deep in the woods, in a river.
“There’s no one here but me,” I thought.
And then a smile crossed my face as I finished the sentence, “And
You.” So there, in the river, I spent
some time with my Lord. And there, in the
river, every single part of me was ministered to.
The moment I dove in, my skin was cooled and refreshed by
the rain-swollen river’s flowing water. I swam for a while, the breast stroke
and the elementary back stroke. My
relaxed pace was barely enough to give me an edge over the current. My muscles were stretched, invigorated and
strengthened. My own, God-made endless
pool!
Then I let the river carry me downstream as I floated on my
back and closed my eyes. I prayed for my
youngest daughter who is away at Church Camp.
I thought about some friends who are struggling and asked the Lord to
show me ways I could bless and encourage them. I floated silently in the dark, in total
relaxation and praised God for the pleasant feeling of physical weightlessness the
river was giving me. . In those still,
quite moments, the words, “Peace like a river,” flowed through my mind and
flooded my entire being.
When I opened my eyes, I marveled at the pure loveliness of
the woods and the river. I looked at all
the details of the stream, from pebbles and rocks to boulders and limestone
slabs, a bank of clay, and another bank of sand, the reeds and grasses, so many
kinds of trees, their tangled roots, the cliffs and ledges, the sky filled with
white clouds. Then I thought about all
the wildlife I knew was surrounding me.
Hundreds of birds, fish, deer, squirrels and rabbits, turtles, fox,
raccoons, muskrats, beaver, otter, coyotes, snakes!! They are all there, most hidden from me, just
feet away. “This is amazing!” I tell
Him. I can barely believe how perfect
it all is. My mind is filled with awe
and wonder.
How do I deserve to be here and receive the blessing of this
river? As a matter of fact, how do I
deserve anything that I have? How do I
deserve my very life? I surely know that
I don’t. And my heart is filled with
thanksgiving so much that I think it may burst. I am thankful for this river. I am thankful for the man on the tractor two
hay fields away. I am thankful for all
the people I love and who love me. I am
thankful for all my animals and my home and food to eat. I am thankful for fresh air to breath and all
of nature to marvel at. I am thankful for a life that brings me joy… and so
many other things. So many things. But more than anything, more then everything
combined, I am thankful for His love for me.
The love that overflows into Mercy.
The love that gives me hope of a future in His presence. The love that promises me that future.
My soul was quenched in God’s river today. For God made the river and God made me and He
was there with me in the river. He used
the river to tell me who he is. He used
the river to encourage me to talk to him. He used the river to refresh my body and
stimulate my mind. He used the river to
fill my heart with gratitude and drown my soul in His peace and serenity. The river was my church today, and even now,
many hours later, it is still washing over me.
Reminding me. I close my eyes and can't help but smile. Peace like a river is
mine.
