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Jan 11, 2012

God-Incidences

Linking with a community of bloggers who recognize our Lord in the day to day moments and people of our lives.


{Reposting from July 2011, because the moment, the Holy Spirit in this moment, deserves to be shared over and over again.}

Old Dog sprints stiffly to the water’s edge; darting, nose skimming, reading the news of critterdom left on scented surfaces. A banquet of scents hangs in the air to inhale and savor. Bird song, rabbit skittering, and turtle sightings entice Old Dog from branch to brush and then back to the water’s banks.

The beleaguered, burdened human trails behind, mentally distant, unheeding, unseeing. A heavy heart and weighty concerns veil the senses. Dappled light dances across shaded lawn but eyes don’t really see. A canopy of green foliage rustles overhead as breezes shift and sway; but ears don’t really hear.


In time the Old Dog, satiated with the frenzied hunt for smells; settles and revels in the shade, nose attentive to buffeting scents carried on the wind.

A glance toward my Old Dog turns into a full measured pause. It’s clear his aging self has troubles of his own: sight has dimmed, hearing and muscles are much diminished. And yet, I hear the interior Spirit suggest; Notice, your Old Dog knows well enough to be hereHe knows well enough to sense the cool of shaded grass on fur free skin, to lift the nose and savor the smells in the breeze, to feel the wind in his fur, and glory in the luxury of that, the divine restoration of that!

I feel my eyes widen, mind stumbling to be alert. I settle in the shade and strive to suspend worry and wrestling to attend. Water rushing over the rocky falls fills the ears.


Wind buffets warm across skin and lifts hair. The essence of wood, wind, and water, the marvel of it all, fills the breath, slows the heart, and quiets thought. Listen for that which one can hear only in spiritual stillness. To see what can only be seen with the soul, to sense the holy in the moment.

                      
 The Spirit of the LORD will be with you to give you understanding, wisdom, and insight.     
   You will be powerful, and you will know and honor the LORD.  
Isaiah 11:2 (CEV)

Human fears lift...
and shift...
reframed by deeper awareness and divine meaning that transforms into peace filled strength.
… to be renewed in the spirit of your minds…  
Ephesians 4:23 (ESV)
Smiling now...,
grateful for the gift received. Old dog and human head home renewed by divine nudging.

10 comments:

  1. Delightful! I wish I could have walked with Old Dog and Human in that beautiful place. Love the photos!

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    1. You're so kind to visit. Yes, it is a beautiful place.
      Lisa

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  2. Thank you- this was so beautiful- i feel really blessed and inspired- your story was a gift i have gratefully received, more aware now, and thoughtful too.

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    1. Ah, your words are kind. God's ways, His world, they do bless. It is a gift to seek this attentiveness.

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  3. Mmmm ... So, so nice.

    The " mind stumbling to be alert... "

    I get that, right there. My heart knows that I must be still, but my mind races toward other ... stuff.

    Yes, to be renewed in the spirit of the mind.

    So very glad you linked your story.

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    1. Jennifer,
      So very glad for your offering this place to tell of such sacred experiences.
      Lisa

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  4. "to sense The Holy in the moment"...amen...this is so beautifully quiet and still.

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    1. Connie,
      So kind of you to comment. His Spirit swept the chaos of worrisome chatter from my mind; swept it as a broom whisks useless debris, leaving a clean space. That swept space allowed the holy to be seen. I'm grateful the words offered a sense of the 'quiet'.
      Lisa

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  5. Connie,
    So kind for you to comment. His Spirit swept the chaos of worrisome chatter from my mind; swept it as a broom whisks useless debris, leaving a clean space. That swept space allowed the holy to be seen. I'm grateful the words offered a sense of the 'quiet'.
    Lisa

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  6. A beautiful reflection and one I needed to read this morning. Your pictures are lovely. I can almost hear the gurgling, rushing sound in the photo of the water :-)

    grace and peace,
    Susan

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