What Nature Alone Can Bring

"I sit outside on a summer evening and just listen and behold and drink it all in, and my heart begins to quiet and peace begins to come into my soul. My heart tells me that 'All will be well...'"
( Captivating).

Life this summer has been busy. It has been filled with questions, adventure, business, confrontation, work, stress. I have found myself trying to do so much in the beginning of summer, that I missed out on time that could have been untilized better. But isn't that what the enemy wants us to think. That you didn't measure up and you need to try harder. "You missed something. You could have done this instead of that." Who is this guy? Is he that threatened by us? Yes. I was reading Cpativating and they talked about how Satan went after Eve because she bore the image of God, in that she was beautiful and was a life giver. Satan was Lucifer, the "mold of perfection" (Ezek. 28.12), the most beautiful angel ever created. And pride entered him and the book says that the " angel believed that he was being cheated some how.... He wanted the attention," (84). (I wonder when Lucifer decided that he wanted to be like God? Was it imediately after Adam and Eve were created or was it a process over time?)

That was just a side note. But What God has really been doing this summer has been tough. Stinking process! Just Kidding. Embracing the process is the hardest thing. I know what "good" looks like, or I feel that I want things to be "normal", but what I really mean is for things to be stable. Life is so up and down and it is so easy to be tossed by the wind. I just want to make sure that I hold on as strong as possible because if I was to be tossed about, that would mean that I didn't have control. Isn't that what we all want, control? To know what's going to happen, trusting that no one else knows what is best for you?

Well, June and July flew by. There were good times, bad times, times that were strange, and then things happend that don't get catagorized because they can't be described in one word.
But August has been a time that rest was much needed. It totally helped that I went on the camping trip with the youth group. That stirred up a desire to really seek God out. "How bad to I want Him?" Has been the question that lingers in my mind. Then there are the thoughts of "how can I spend time with him? It's been so long that I can't hear him". The desire was there, but something need to give me a boost. When we went camping with the youth group, I couldn't help but just worship God through song. I would see, rather God was revealing himself through creation. Because I had made myself busy with work, I had forgotten to take time out for myelf and time with my Father. Thank you Lord that you are so patient. These past few weeks I have been taking time out to go into nature and see God's creation. I have been asking him to show himself to me and he has. He has shown me his power, creativity, humor, etc. And through taking that time out, I have had peace returned. There is a joy in my heart again. I am starting to deny the busy-body that I have become the past year. And again, it's still a process. I know days will come and I wont have control, but I am human, and God is loving and patient, he is my shepherd too. He is the only reason I can say, even when I mess up, that everything will be alright.
As always, I could go on. Maybe I should write a book (yeah right... maybe if I go to IHOP).
I'll leave you on this note:

"On the mysteries of the sea and sky,
and how the rain falls down when the earth cries out "water".
oh the secret you have fashioned these arms to raise,
a worthy praise and
these lips to sing of a love that I have stumbled onto.
That's why Im here to say "Thank you"

Oh, I sigh at your wonders
Oh Lord, I labor for breath at your creation
Your majesty, it has my attention
your soverignty has my devotion
You still have my heart.

Oh it's impossible to say that there is another god like you.
In all your ways you are speaking still and
I am listening.
Oh the image of bright red blood that ran to save and
rose to make my life brand new
thats whay Im here to say
thank you, thank you

Oh I sigh at your wonder
Oh Lord, I labor for breathe at your creation
Your majesty has my attention
Your soverignty has my devotion
You still have my heart.

How I sigh at your wonders
Oh Lord I labor for breath at your creation
Your majesty has my attention
your soverignty has my devotion
You still have my heart"
~Rita Springer