Earlier this month we took a trip to Watkins Glen. It was amazing.
I walked along in awe, feeling peace suffuse me.
At one point in our hike, the kids had wandered ahead or strayed behind and I found myself alone. "How I wish I could capture this moment in art," I mused, trying to soak in the beauty so I could take it with me.
You can do it with words, a voice inside me whispered.
Reaching inside the backpack, I found the token book I carry with me always ("just in case"...just ask Quinn about backpacking and "Les Miserables" :), lol!). This time, it was "Mere Christianity" and I opened the cover, quickly scribbling down the words that came to mind.
In front of me, a information sign-board read, "every fracture tells a story," and this phrase sent my thoughts spinning in a direction I didn't foresee:
Each fracture tells a story,
Revealing the beauty that lies beneath
The Water of Life, Living Water, cuts and grinds
Carrying away debris and life
Millions come
To gain inspiration
To gain rest
All from the fractures and their untold stories that
Reveal the beauty that lies beneath.
I looked at the ground above,...you can see it in the picture above: lush and green forested area. I thought of how many times I have relished such scenes back here in the east and then thought, "but if it weren't for the erosion by the water and the falling away of the fractures, we would have missed all this that lay beneath the forest."
How often in my own life do I look around and love the beauty that is my life, the calm, peaceful forest? And how often do I protest when God says lovingly, gently, "My daughter, this is good; but there is so much more that lies beneath."
I thought about the fractures in my life: depression, the death of my son, my imperfections and blunders in relationships, heart ache, betrayal, misunderstanding and saw them in new light. The fractures in this glen lend almost magical beauty to the ravine, with life growing along the sides in lush profusion. The water that slowly, gently curves its way through the bottom sculpted new treasures in the rock, creating bends and twists that unfold delights to the traveler at every turn.
True, what lay above was beautiful...
...but what lay beneath was breath-taking.
Is this true with me? Do my trials, my imperfections, my fractures also make me beautiful? As I struggled with a particular situation last week, the impression came to my mind, "This is Me, my daughter. We are uncovering a new depth within you. It may be painful and rocky and thick, but it is a layer that must go." This layer was self-pity, selfishness, and it is thick and painful to "wear through"!
How interesting it is that, when filled with the memory and peace of that ravine, God can use that comparison to give me peace in change, peace in refinement, and perspective of what may come.
I thought of all of us and how drab and monotonous it would become if we were all peaceful fields,...or even if we were all ravines. We each have our own soil, our own composition, our own potential landscape, whether it is ground pushed up to the heavens to create mountains, soft rolling hills, stark deserts or inspiring ravines. Not everyone will desire the beauty that is revealed and not everyone will be equipped or make the effort to enjoy the unique beauty that is ours...
Each fractures tells a story and there is eternity to tell it.
I walked along in awe, feeling peace suffuse me.
At one point in our hike, the kids had wandered ahead or strayed behind and I found myself alone. "How I wish I could capture this moment in art," I mused, trying to soak in the beauty so I could take it with me.
You can do it with words, a voice inside me whispered.
Reaching inside the backpack, I found the token book I carry with me always ("just in case"...just ask Quinn about backpacking and "Les Miserables" :), lol!). This time, it was "Mere Christianity" and I opened the cover, quickly scribbling down the words that came to mind.
In front of me, a information sign-board read, "every fracture tells a story," and this phrase sent my thoughts spinning in a direction I didn't foresee:
Each fracture tells a story,
Revealing the beauty that lies beneath
The Water of Life, Living Water, cuts and grinds
Carrying away debris and life
Millions come
To gain inspiration
To gain rest
All from the fractures and their untold stories that
Reveal the beauty that lies beneath.
I looked at the ground above,...you can see it in the picture above: lush and green forested area. I thought of how many times I have relished such scenes back here in the east and then thought, "but if it weren't for the erosion by the water and the falling away of the fractures, we would have missed all this that lay beneath the forest."How often in my own life do I look around and love the beauty that is my life, the calm, peaceful forest? And how often do I protest when God says lovingly, gently, "My daughter, this is good; but there is so much more that lies beneath."
I thought about the fractures in my life: depression, the death of my son, my imperfections and blunders in relationships, heart ache, betrayal, misunderstanding and saw them in new light. The fractures in this glen lend almost magical beauty to the ravine, with life growing along the sides in lush profusion. The water that slowly, gently curves its way through the bottom sculpted new treasures in the rock, creating bends and twists that unfold delights to the traveler at every turn.
True, what lay above was beautiful...
...but what lay beneath was breath-taking.
Is this true with me? Do my trials, my imperfections, my fractures also make me beautiful? As I struggled with a particular situation last week, the impression came to my mind, "This is Me, my daughter. We are uncovering a new depth within you. It may be painful and rocky and thick, but it is a layer that must go." This layer was self-pity, selfishness, and it is thick and painful to "wear through"!
How interesting it is that, when filled with the memory and peace of that ravine, God can use that comparison to give me peace in change, peace in refinement, and perspective of what may come.
Each fractures tells a story and there is eternity to tell it.
It is insightful to look back in our lives and see how trials have made the difference in our growth. If we are facing Christ He will help the debris fall from us. It is not how far we are down the path, but which direction we face.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I meant to say that a couple days ago when I first read it so now I am coming back to let you know how much I loved it and the perspective it shared.
ReplyDelete