Friday, October 19, 2012

Coloured Pastures, Running Waters


The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.

After worship this past Sunday morning we blew town and drove north and east, beyond the teeming metropolis of Sharbot Lake to the back-of-beyond. We have friends on a farm up there and we haven't seen them in nearly a year. We drove from sprinkles and showers locally into the shrouding of mist and an eventual downpour. The rain let up as we got close to our friends' place so we drove a little farther to the remote house on another vacant farm  where I holed up for part of my leave four and a half years ago. We both love the tranquility of this spot and we walked through the canopy of trees arching over a tractor trail. Even in the mist the trees were beautiful.

The next morning we walked into another spot where the Mississippi River tumbles over a series of chutes. Over time the relentless flow of water has carved fascinating potholes in the limestone which fill with coloured leaves in Autumn. In the afternoon we walked with our friends back on their land and dug up a small pine tree for the backyard of the manse.



We both have demanding, people-related work and as you may have noticed I am employed on weekends. It means that we rarely have two days in succession, let alone the three days of a long weekend. So, we crave and relish the occasions when we can both be restored, enjoy beauty, reconnect with friends. In this instance we were away for a little more than twenty four hours, but it felt like longer.

Do you have a place or places where God and surroundings restore you soul? Do you need sabbath times, tranquil times, to get recharged?

4 comments:

roger said...

I am in Cobourg on most weekends, and when I get up early on a Saturday morning to walk to the store to get the newspaper, I go through a small wooded area. The creek runs through it, and I always spend a few minutes just looking at and listening to the water. I find it so relaxing - and nobody is around.

Sometimes life can get so busy, and we program ourselves to always be completing some task, that we don't give ourselves enough "down" time. I'm trying to rectify that.

IanD said...

Next weekend I am heading to my best friend's cottage with he and two other guys I see once a year. We all met through university, and I literally get as excited as a kid at Christmas when "cottage weekend" rolls around.

In addition to the company (which is the important part) the chance to sit and read, walk and play guitar around the campfire all play a part in the kind of thing you're talking about, David.

Laurie said...

I live in a place where every morning I thank what ever gods happen to make it possible that I live here. I maybe would thank them a bit more if it were in Ireland! Listening to music also restores my soul.

Lynnof60 said...

I am here now. Nova Scotia. The place of my roots. My history. It just feels right.