“All that day they [Merry and Pippin] walked about in the woods with him, singing, and laughing; for Quickbeam often laughed. He laughed if the sun came out from behind a cloud; he laughed if they came upon a stream or spring: then he stooped and splashed his feet and head with water; he laughed sometimes at some sound or whisper in the trees. Whenever he saw a rowan-tree he halted a while with his arms stretched out, and sang, and swayed as he sang.” – The Two Towers
This week I’ve been focusing a lot on worship. I want to worship like Quickbeam. I want to have a joyful spirit; always laughing and enjoying life with God in such childlike ways. In every circumstance it is good to have a thankful and delighted spirit. I have every reason to be filled with bubbly and giddy joy like Quickbeam. Lord is with me; the Lord is for me; and the Lord has freed me. I am free from sin but also free to be with Him every moment of every day for the rest of my life. The Lord has brought me so many blessings and so many things to take pleasure in with Him.
I’m very task oriented and take joy in being productive. It’s so easy for me to get discouraged when I don’t feel the Lord’s presence or hear Him saying anything when I dedicate time in His Word or in prayer. But the Lord is with me all the time; I should take advantage of that; I don’t need to just spend 45 minutes of time in His Word each day; I can enjoy every little thing of my day with Him.
Why do I not acknowledge God and spend so little time with Him? He wants me to acknowledge Him in everything; He wants me to enjoy life with Him. The little things and the big things that I enjoy in life: reading, sitting and thinking while enjoying creation, being physically active, drinking a hot drink on a cold morning, eating a good meal after a long hard day, playing board and card games with friends, writing blogs and journals; the Lord wants me to invite Him into all of it! And those things are so much more enjoyable when I do them with Him!
With the Lord there is joy in every thing; joy in the rising of the sun; joy in its setting; joy in the brightness of the moon; joy in the beauty of the stars; joy in the falling of the rain; joy in the parting of the clouds; joy in the bright light; joy in the deepest darkness; joy in the shaping; joy in the waiting; joy in the little; joy in the much; joy in the peace and quiet; joy in the business and work; in Him there is joy forevermore!
As I look back on the past couple weeks I realize that some of my best times with the Lord weren’t when I sat down dedicated to spending time with Him in the Word or in prayer. They were at unexpected moments where I took the time and energy to be still and acknowledge that God is with me.
One moment was during debrief at the top of a mountain overlooking Lake Atitlan (supposedly one of the most beautiful places in the world). It was still pitch dark but we could see the shimmering of the lake surrounded by the city lights of all the surrounding towns. In the distance we could see fiery eruptions from a distant volcano. To the right we could see flashes of far off lightning. As the sun began to rise darkness turned to light in beautiful splendor. We were served steaming coffee with sweet bread. Few moments in my life have I been as content and full of awe at God’s beauty. I didn’t pray or even intently listen to what the Lord might want to say. I just stood recognizing the Lord’s presence and being thankful at the beauty before me.
Also during debrief I went paragliding. It was so peaceful soaring over the Lord’s creation; birds flying alongside; clouds encircling; the mountain ridge behind, the lake stretched out in the distance far below; beauty all around. It was spectacular. We did spins and tricks bringing us down the rest of the way. I couldn’t stop laughing. The Lord is so wonderful.
After one day of particularly good and joyous ministry creating relationships and deepening already established relationships, the sun was just starting to set and it was so beautiful. I began singing praise and enjoying the sun on my face as I balanced on a cement wall separating the driveway from the field. I felt God so present; such peace and joy. I started skipping and spinning on the wall and balancing all the while. I laughed and felt like a little kid who has been reunited with a loving Father who has been away (though really it is never God who is away; it is me).
After one very sweaty and exhausting workout (Insanity: Max Cardio Circuit baby!) I sat outside as it drizzled, enjoying the cool chill air. I was going to pull out LOTR and continue reading but then thought to enjoy the moment; being still with the Lord. I sat there watching the rain patter against the cement and splash in little puddles. It felt good to be still and enjoy God’s wondrous creation. I got to thinking of how I seem to be so different than most of the Racers here. I enjoy peace and quiet and contemplation over the boisterous room of loud laughter (which I could hear even as I thought it). But it made me so thankful for God and the uniqueness He put in all of His children; even in our great differences we are also so very similar. Among many things, we all crave Jesus. He loves us all uniquely and has unique relationships with each of us. He loves us all perfectly and completely and even though He offers His love freely to all, the worth of His love does not lessen. The fact that His love is so deeply personal and intimate, yet also universal and shareable makes it so indescribably powerful and wonderful!
I’ve had a lot of free time here and during some of that I’ve been able to spend a lot of time in contemplation and stillness. I’ve been able to read old journals and think back on all the Lord has done in my life. I’ve been able to be nostalgic and sentimental about much of my childhood at the Ranch growing up. Memories of the last few years have flooded me. Memories of relationships; memories of Wild Canyon Games and many adventurous hikes; memories of work crews; memories of times working at the Sassy ending in utterly lovely times with the Lord in camp; memories of school and long, productive, and sometimes frustrating days in front of my computer; memories of sicknesses and health; memories of tea walks with friends; memories of board games and movies with the family; memories of late nights of worship, reading, washing dishes, and Calvin and Hobbes; memories of Christmases, family traditions, and festive spirits in the air; memories of intimate night walks with God; memories of healing and comforting morning walks with God; memories of hardships that shaped me; memories of demoralizing defeats and joyous victories; memories of the breaking of chains and living in freedom.
I thanked God for them all. He has done so much for me and everything has been used for such a good purpose. It has brought me here now and I couldn’t ask for better memories. I can’t wait to see my family again; but more so I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for each of us as we continue to grow up and grow closer to Him who has such a perfect and unique plan for us all.
Live in that knowledge. God knows you and loves you. He is with you and wants to enjoy life with you. Invite God into every little thing of your day. Be still and acknowledge Him; be filled with the peace and joy that comes from Him and surpasses all understanding. If you seek God you will find Him. I promise you, you won’t regret it! There is joy forevermore!
Here are some pics from the last few weeks. An early morning hike and paragliding were definitely highlights…
The Band Of Brothers
