He Will Bring To You The Morning

He Will Bring To You The Morning

Alone she wrestles

In darkest isolation.

The night stretches on

never ending,

forever.

Wisps of gloom swirl wearily,

Time stands still, 

A sentinel of gloom,

Immortal,

Eternal.

Inky darkness envelops,

Tears mingle with murky waters,

Concealing pain,

Drowning,

Hopeless.

Tenaciously she clings

And wonders why.

He will bring to you the morning.

Hold on.

Not long.

A hush enshrouds her grieving heart,

A whispered glimmer of light 

on angel wings

soars awakening through the skies.

A blush.

A dash of beauty.

He has brought to you the morning.

Thirsty

Thirsty

It had been a long, hard, hot week for my friend, Lisa. One trouble after another had bubbled to the surface. Difficult problems to be solved, irritable people to be dealt with and an accumulated lack of sleep, had brought the week to an exhausting close. Soaking up the glory of a crimson sunset, Lisa inhaled slowly and visibly relaxed. It was now the Sabbath. Half murmured thoughts surfaced in her mind of a deep desire to enjoy the presence of God this holy Sabbath day. She was tired, more than tired and she craved worship. 

Lisa woke and stretched slowly, easing her limbs gently from their sleeping position as the familiar ache of rheumatoid arthritis  brought her fully awake. It was late. She had overslept. A deep longing for quiet time with God filled her soul as she carefully made her way to the shower. Time was a premium and she brushed her soul-filled hunger aside with wisps of hair and plunged into preparing for church. Arriving late at the already filled car park, she hastily parked at the far end and made her way to the house of the Lord. Lisa silently slipped into a comfortable back pew but the thirst for God grew greater. How she longed for God deep within. Her week had been so hectic that she felt disconnected, as if she had run far ahead of the Lord. “Are you there for me, Father, “ she quietly prayed, “I so long for you, to be near to you.” Her disjointed thoughts tumbled between the troubles of the week, her aching heart for God and the service currently in progress. 

The programme ended and Lisa slid slowly out of her seat and made her way thoughtfully across the car park. She was thirsty, very thirsty. The heat of the sun beat down on her relentlessly as she made her way back to the car. In her hurry that morning she had left her water bottle at home. Now she felt parched in body and spirit. Discouraged, Lisa started to drive away from the church. She chose the long route home, past houses framed with bright green lawns, flowering garden beds and shady trees. Startled, she saw a sign  by the road and pulled quickly to a stop. In bold black letters the sign read, “Free plums.” The large plum tree with rich green foliage was laden with ripe, deep purple plums, just ready to be picked. In joy Lisa picked one soft plum, then another and still another. Going to her car she retrieved an old, small plastic shopping bag and excitedly continued to pick plum after plum. The delight of the shade and the beauty of the gardens and lawn refreshed her spirits. With eagerness she took a bite of the sweet, juicy plum. Trickles of red juice squirted into her mouth and quenched her thirst. God came near and spoke into her heart words of comfort. “I have never left you nor forsaken you, Lisa. I am here for you.” She reached for another plum, satisfying her physical thirst even more. The peacefulness of the scene brought rest to her troubled mind. God’s presence was so near and His words so comforting, her thirsty soul for Him was filled. Her heart filled with thankfulness towards God for the gift of the plums and for the refreshment of body and spirit she received in those few brief minutes standing under a leafy tree relishing the sweetness of succulent plums. That moment and those plums were her gift from God. Tears welled up and threatened to spill over as her heart felt warmed by God’s thoughtfulness care and tender love for her. 

We have all experienced harried and frazzling weeks of problems, exhaustion and less time spent with God. Those moments of craving for God’s quietness and presence as expressed by the psalmist in Ps 42:1, 2 “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” In the stillness of the moment God calls to my soul and I hear His voice  saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” (John 7:38). I eagerly drink and again hear His words, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” ( Isa 12:3) I smile and I experience Psalm 116:7 “Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.”

My Good Shepherd

My Good Shepherd

Leaning lazily against an old rustic fence post, I  nonchalantly took in the scene at our local Agricultural Field Day. It was a scene I had witnessed many times before, the Australian way of moving sheep. I love Aussie sheep. I love the smell, I love the different tones of bleating, I love their peaceful grazing, I love the feel of their wool and I laugh at their mob mentality. Yes, I love Aussie sheep. An Australian saying that signifies the importance of the wool industry to our economy, particularly in our history, states that ‘ Australia rides on the sheep’s back’. Now here I was with the sights and sounds of the stock being moved, in a demonstration of the skill and expertise of the Aussie Kelpie dog. 

The paddock held a mob of about fifteen sheep for the demonstration. They huddled fearfully up one end, circling each other, yet staying in a close knit group. Their eyes were riveted on the other end of the paddock where the kelpies were tied in a row to the  old fence posts. The working dogs leaped, barked and strained on their leads with the excitement of the moment. The farmer, with his broad Australian accent of shortened words, run all together with distinctive Aussie phrases, was giving a fast paced commentary on how to successfully train and work your dog. Finally, he selected an eager, slightly built, black masked kelpie and unclipped his lead. He called to the dog who came and sat with impatient anticipation beside him, waiting his commands. With a series of short calls, hand signals and whistles, the kelpie was off and dashing. As he approached the sheep, the stock dog took on the form of predatory stalking towards the apprehensive animals.  The farmer kept up an array of whistles and the active kelpie was soon successfully manoeuvring the mob of anxious sheep toward the direction of the races, which were set up in the paddock to receive, hold and sort the sheep. The working dog used stealth, stalking and tactics of fear to push the sheep toward their destination. As they would turn in the wrong direction, the dog was fast to wheel them around, staring a lead sheep down with intimidation, coming at it from the front, yet circling around the mob to urge them forward from the back. Always the sheep were nervously moving, tense and watching for a way of escape. Finally, they were herded into the race with the kelpie jumping on their woolly backs to push them through until the metal gates could close in behind them with a clank. It was a job well done.

My mind wanders to another time and another place. I think of Jesus and the many occasions He  would have observed the pleasant passing scene of a shepherd with his sheep. How different was the middle eastern shepherd from our Aussie farmers. Instead of tactics of intimidation and driving the sheep through force and anxiety, the Shepherd of the Bible lands led his sheep with gentleness and kindness. As evening fell the shepherd would guide the sheep tenderly to a holding pen and lead them to safety, staying with the sheep through the night and often risking his own life to protect them. He would lovingly call the sheep and they knew his voice and with confidence they would only follow him. The shepherd of Israel was tender, kind, yet firmly protective of his sheep who trusted him and followed him knowing he was leading them to rich pastures.

Jesus is a good shepherd and we are His sheep. In John 10:11 the bible says, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” What kind of shepherd is He? Does he drive and coerce, intimidate and force?  In Isa 40:11  it states, “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” John 10:27  tells us, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me”

Who is my shepherd? Do I choose Jesus to gently lead me or do I allow another to push me in a way of his own choosing? Ps 23:1-4 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Today I choose Jesus to lead, comfort and restore me with His tender, loving kindness.