We spent the afternoon at the River yesterday. It was very nice. Most of our children and grandchildren were there, and a close friend was there too. We sat in our chairs and on the rocks down by the river, and watched the kids swim. My husband and two younger children swam across the river and then jumped off the large rocks, they had a great time. The water is warm this time of year.
Our conversation was easy and relaxed, the sun was perfect. I think, for all of us, it felt delightful in many ways, and then in some ways kind of sad. Summer is coming to an end, school starts next week. My kids are not happy about this change. They like the long summer days, the ease of play, and the lack of school schedules. So, our day at the river confirmed to them even more that summer was the best thing ever and should never end!
Our experience with the wasps was not as fascinating to me this time as we ate our lunch. There were so many of them, and they would not leave our food alone. We tried to distract them with food on a different table, but they were determined to eat our food, and they were simply obnoxious. The wasps at the river are hoarders, and I felt completely different about them because the day before I was stung by a wasp. One came up behind me and stung me on the leg. It did not feel good to me at all, in fact, it hurt the rest of the day. And, I noticed that because of my wasp experience, my river experience was laced with some fear.
I did not want to be attacked by a wasp again and experience pain. So, I retreated in fear. As I was enjoying the riverbank, after the wasps had gone elsewhere, I began to think more about my experience and apply it to my life and relationships. How often do I retreat or isolate in relationships because I'm afraid of being hurt and I don't want to experience the pain? I think of the other person as a wasp? It's easier to isolate. It takes courage to be bold. I know for me, I have to work at being bold, and I have to pray for God to give me the strength to move forward in His will. I want to live in a place where I have river experiences more often than wasp experiences, and I've come to see that the only way to accomplish that is through prayer!
So Jesus, Say That Again to me, You are my boldness, You are the River of Life, You are my Armor, and You will be my Keeper that protects me from all attacks.
Our conversation was easy and relaxed, the sun was perfect. I think, for all of us, it felt delightful in many ways, and then in some ways kind of sad. Summer is coming to an end, school starts next week. My kids are not happy about this change. They like the long summer days, the ease of play, and the lack of school schedules. So, our day at the river confirmed to them even more that summer was the best thing ever and should never end!
Our experience with the wasps was not as fascinating to me this time as we ate our lunch. There were so many of them, and they would not leave our food alone. We tried to distract them with food on a different table, but they were determined to eat our food, and they were simply obnoxious. The wasps at the river are hoarders, and I felt completely different about them because the day before I was stung by a wasp. One came up behind me and stung me on the leg. It did not feel good to me at all, in fact, it hurt the rest of the day. And, I noticed that because of my wasp experience, my river experience was laced with some fear.
I did not want to be attacked by a wasp again and experience pain. So, I retreated in fear. As I was enjoying the riverbank, after the wasps had gone elsewhere, I began to think more about my experience and apply it to my life and relationships. How often do I retreat or isolate in relationships because I'm afraid of being hurt and I don't want to experience the pain? I think of the other person as a wasp? It's easier to isolate. It takes courage to be bold. I know for me, I have to work at being bold, and I have to pray for God to give me the strength to move forward in His will. I want to live in a place where I have river experiences more often than wasp experiences, and I've come to see that the only way to accomplish that is through prayer!
So Jesus, Say That Again to me, You are my boldness, You are the River of Life, You are my Armor, and You will be my Keeper that protects me from all attacks.
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