Catching crumbs

A captured cloud of consciousness awakens me to a world beyond our own.

There is beauty in the everyday and a heart's yearning for more than eyes can see.

Spirit calls to spirit and inner ears long to hear.

These words, "Then King David went in and sat before the Lord" ~ 2 Samuel 7:18 made me stop and think.

How my body can be still but my mind is busy being restless, tethered to earthly concerns.

It takes a conscious effort of the will to cease inner striving, take thoughts captive to Christ. I struggle to release all.

Many thoughts clamour for attention and my habit is to pay them heed.

Learning slow through centering prayer to let go of the clamour and embrace silence.

How would it look to deliberately take a Sabbath rest of body, mind and spirit? To experience an inner peace that would follow us through the rest of the week.

When King David sat before the Lord in the passage above he was recognising God's authority over his life and future plans. 

It was a reverent placing of his life before the Author of life Himself, a sanctuary of surrender, a willing laying down and laying aside his own position and control. 

A trading of his plans for those God had in mind instead.

A trusting attitude for today and tomorrow, come what may.

In this he mirrors Christ ~  a conscious choice to set aside time for prayerful communion and a humble heart of surrender toward all that lay ahead of Him in the Father's plans.

'Resting'

Promises surround on every side

and there are choices to make ~ 

believe, trust, rest and abide

in the truth of Your word

or rake hopeful through worldly trash

glittering fake-bright as gold

where declarations breezy bold

and in-your-face brash are heard

I choose to sit at Your feet

enter a place of deep rest

where grace and mercy meet

embracing all that's best

Knowing the road ahead

may be steep and long

but You will always 

provide help to stay strong

And my mind finds ease

when I draw quietly aside

absorb Your peace

wash clean as tide

©JoyLenton2014

"Once the solitude of time and space has become a solitude of the heart, we will never have to leave that solitude" ~ Henri Nouwen 'Making All Things New'

I stumble through my days as I seek to know God's ways. Discover that listening is both active and still. A silence and a shouting.

There are sounds all around. Words shaping themselves into worship. All earth is filled with His glory.

And He waits. In the silence. In the stillness. Speaking soft and low. Whispering His love.

There are times when tuning in is as natural as breathing ~ times I savour and hunger for.

Mostly, life passes by and I snatch greedy at all which speaks of His grace, catching crumbs from the table. Manna for the moment.

And I leave you today, (hopefully hungering for more of His Presence) with an old Celtic prayer:

Deep peace of the running waves to you

Deep peace of the flowing air to you

Deep peace of the shining stars to you

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you

Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you

Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you

Joining with friends Mel , Laura

and Songs on Sunday

The road less travelled

Each journey we take in life begins with a single step.

Yet so often the first move is the hardest one to make.

The greater the challenge before us, the greater the measure of courage required. 

Faith requires us to walk blind sometimes, but we have the reassurance of God's continual Presence to lead and to guide. 

And when we're on the King of Kings' highway we are in a good place to proceed with confidence. 

'Highway'

An open road yawns wide before me

and I have a choice to make ~ hesitate,

deliberate, ignore, turn back, or face

the path ahead with anticipation

instead of mounting dread

Decide to take a stand,

move forward ~ trembling, slow,

though with a firm grip on Your hand

For only You know opportunities

arising round the bend

Only You know what happens

if I reject the path you send

So I choose to listen to Your voice

taking one step, then another,

until I can rejoice in overcoming

fears, as I finally make progress

after all these years rooted to the spot

like one petrified, half dead,

when I could have been pursuing

dreams with You instead

Although I cannot see the potholes and 

pitfalls on this path, I trust that You 

will clear the way on my behalf

And now I stand ready to make a start

knowing each step brings me

closer to Your heart

©JoyLenton2014

"Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God, my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long." ~ Psalm 25:4-5

Linking here with Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays




**NOTE** The winner (chosen at random from those who commented on my last post) of a copy of 'One Thousand Gifts' by Ann Voskamp is ~ Rebekah Gilbert. Congratulations, Rebekah! A copy will be winging its way to you asap.