Step lightly now
Amidst the hush
Of morning dew
And sleeping dreamers
To greet rising sun
And dawning day
Scattering mists
And breaking clouds
The air it freshens
Breathed in deeply
Cool grass greets
Bare feet and soft touch
Step lightly now
In mornings sparkle
Hearts flame lifted
Life’s hope renewed
The child that was me clutched the covers tightly around her shoulders, her frightened eyes wide in the night. The summer storm roared in as rain pounded the metal roof above her head. Wind rattled the tree limbs outside and buffeted the house.
Sizzle! Bang!
Springing from her bed, she raced to the top of the stairs, calling, “Daddy! Daddy!” … and she heard his reassuring voice above the sound of the tempest outside. His footsteps sounded on the stairs and then he was beside her, comforting her.
… I well remember that long-ago night. Staying with me until the storm passed, calming and reassuring me, my father’s presence brought safety and security. The rumbles of thunder slowly grew distant and the flashes of lightning gradually ceased.
There have been many more storms since then, storms of life, tempest tossed. The faith that was instilled in me as a child revealed our Father God, though sometimes the pounding storms distracted me. The dark has a way of intensifying things doesn’t it? Where is hope in the middle of our storms?! It is difficult to hear God’s voice above stress and pain and His footsteps have gone unnoticed or forgotten.
A browned, slightly wrinkled piece of paper is a remnant of one of those stormy seasons of my life. It reads, “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still” (Psalm 107:29). Posted in my kitchen all these years, it is still a daily reminder that God is always with me, reassuring me and calming the storms.
Even after my father returned to his own room, his presence lingered in my mind. I knew that he was close by. I knew that he loved me, demonstrated by sacrificing his own sleep even though he was exhausted after a long day of work. My family was around me and we had survived the storm together!
Psalm 107 says so much about the storms of life. Wandering in the desert, hungry and thirsty, trouble, and darkness… We encounter and struggle with all of these. In times of distress, we can have hope and reassurance that we don’t face that alone. God delivers us. He brings us through, and His love is steadfast. I’m so thankful for that!
Just as the child that was me heaved a sigh of peace and drifted off to sleep, so can we all rest secure in God’s presence. He holds life in His hands and He’s always close by.
“He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed” … a reminder and a promise for us all. “Peace, be still!” *
*Psalm 107, Mark 4:39
• Companionship helps us through the darkest valley
• Life is made up of rolling hills and craggy peaks
• Sometimes the way is sharp and clear
• Other times the path is dim and misty
• Rising peaks can lift the spirits
• Between the mountains there is shelter
• The folds of compassion are places of healing
• Quiet coves bring refreshment and peace
• Obstacles arise under pressure and stress
• Daunting tasks can be accomplished one step at a time
• Getting away from the chaos can bring clarity
• Our Creator’s majesty is reflected in His grand creations
A hint, a tease
Sparkle of light now lingers
‘Midst winter’s chill
Grows ‘lencten’ time
Our heralds the robins
Passing through
Foretell the coming
Of March’s springtide
Prepare, prepare
In contemplation
Sorrow for wrongs
Renewing of hearts
Chill winds still nip and
In dark nights howl
Where is the light which
Warms life and earth
Now one and two
Slow steps to forty
From ashes and regret
To new life springing forth
Come join that journey
Drawn to the source
In quiet solitude
This Lententide
Think now of the mule, the donkey, the goat…
Such creatures as this who bear a great load!
Such poor reputations and so misunderstood
For services provided on a regular basis
Now Jack, now Jenny the sun is well risen…
Come on! You’re well rested! Time for a new day
Let’s go! … Please?!
Hey, wake up! Ah well…
Here Sweetly. You too HeeHaw.
You can join your friends in the cow pasture.
Guard duty today. No, over here…
Ohhh! I’m your friend. Run everyone! Run!
Billy! Where are you going?
Get out of the way! Don’t eat that!
…There we go. All settled now?
All in a day’s work for my unappreciated friends
What’s that? You’re considering getting a camel?
Hey! Watch out! He’ll spit in your eye!
A dark night, I draw into my coat against the freezing wind and biting chill. My head aches from the cold air I draw in through my reddening nose. Memories of warmth and light seem dim, as does the path ahead…
Haven’t we all faced similar scenes in life’s journey?! Sometimes our dark nights come gradually, perhaps painfully, as those we love slowly leave us … whether through increasingly debilitating illness, addictions, mental or emotional challenges, or any number of things which result in that withdrawal. Other times we are slammed abruptly by a flying boulder which smashes all that we care about into a pile of unrecognizable debris. We are left feeling numb, angry, or broken.
How do we face life’s times of loss and the resulting debris left behind? It can be a long, cold, and lonely journey. God, who faithfully walks with me and carries me, gives me hope. Through Him, that sometimes-dimming light can grow brighter. He touches me with the joy of His presence.
I’m reminded of some favorite verses in the Song of Solomon. What a wonderful reminder this little-quoted and sometimes misunderstood book of the Bible is! God’s love poem to us!
For lo, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. *
Like a warm scarf, God’s love wraps around me. I blink at the light shining through breaking clouds and find shelter from the driving wind. There is delight in the sparkle of new snow and clinging icicles. Friends and family bring comfort and fellowship. Warmth welcomes.
Through Jeremiah, God spoke a promise for us all:
The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again, I will build you and you shall be rebuilt… *
May we find in God’s love poem and His words of promise, comfort in our wintery places. Be encouraged.
*Song of Solomon 2:11-12; Jeremiah 31:3-4a
A brick is but a paper weight;
Alone it has no greater fate.
But with its kin in ordered state
Can build a wall that’s true and straight.
** By Guest Blogger – Fred Allen **
