A Reflection by Stacy Bick
On my walk today, as I pulled at my dog Esther’s leash to hurry her along, I heard the Lord speak. “Slow down,” He said in a soft, gentle voice. He sweetly urged me to stop and live in the moment. To take in all the beauty of the creation around me. I saw the marvelous sky – how He creatively designed the clouds in rows as if they were rolling waves. Then, as I looked to my right, I saw a cloud in the shape of a heart.
Had He put that there for me in that moment knowing I was looking, paying attention?
Then as I tuned my ears to the sounds of the birds singing, I was gently reminded to not worry. For He cares for the least of these so lovingly (Matthew 6:26) – will He not care for me? And after that the trees caught my attention. I watched, closely observed how they dance in the direction of the wind. How they are fed day after day by the Sun and the rain that comes, just in time. I was reminded of what fall brings – the color change. How mysterious it is that just before dying for season, there’s a burst of color… It is as if the trees are surrendering to Him and being filled with His color, the colors of love, joy, grace, mercy… so much beauty. So much vibrancy. Such abundance.
Suddenly I am caught up in the memory of Jesus. The color of His life and how brightly He shined until the very end when everything went dark, only to be found resurrected into even more vibrancy and life than before!
From death to life.
From death to life.
Over and over again, we are called to die so that we can have life. What color it brings too! The more we die the more vibrant we become.
My Prayer
Oh Lord, thank you for this reminder today! The reminder that to live fully I must surrender my all to You. I must open my heart and soul and give You my “yes” again and again. To die is gain, and to live is Christ (Phil. 1:21).
Oh Lord, if I am to live fully while I am given time on this earth, may it be through You. May I be an ever present light – full of the colors of love, grace, mercy, joy! Oh let me be like a tree firmly planted by streams of living water, which yields its fruit in season, and its leaf does not weather (Ps. 1:3). Let me be like a tree – ever bending in the sway of the wind of your Spirit. Never breaking, always yielding.
Let me be like the birds of the air – forever singing a song of praise, confident in my Savior, the Shepherd of my soul, knowing that it is in Him that I can always fly Home. It is in Him that I find my rest.
Let me be like the clouds in the sky – a never ending display of Your beauty. Your glory. An ever-changing canvas telling the world of a Sovereign Lord who is ever faithful. Faithful as the Sun. Faithful as the blue skies.
Thank You for urging me to slow down today. For pulling on my heartstrings and opening my eyes to Your wonder and goodness. Had I rushed on, ignoring Your gentle nudge, I would have missed this moment.
You are so good, Lord. For You know what we are in need of before we even ask!