Our voices and sometimes even our thoughts are too loud to hear the quiet sound of a stream passing through the rock bed and the wildlife along the banks. And we are so busy "looking" toward the next event in our lives or figuring out how to fit everything on our calendar that we fail to see the beauty of the leaves floating along the stream, the flowers peaking out along the side of the water, and the varying shapes and sizes of the many trees intermingled along the banks.
Remember the song from Disney's movie, Pocahontas, "Just Around the Rover Bend"? Pocahontas sings about what might be just around the "river bend" of her life, about choices she must make, what's beyond the trees or right behind the waterfalls, and if her hopes and dreams will be fulfilled.
Running ahead--it's a universal struggle, wrestling with choices we have to make and wondering about the future instead of "living in the moment". Even in life's most peaceful times, the storm of "what if" threatens deep waters and we can succumb to a sense of foreboding rather than enjoying what's right in front of us..
Psalm 46:10 tells us to "be still" or "cease striving" (NASB) "and know that I am God." What if we could spend less time trying to figure out what's coming next and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us? The beauty of nature, yes, and all the more the beauty of the people around us. Nothing says love better than being attentive to those around us. We should not only stop and "tune in", but actually breathe in the moment and give thanks for it.
Rather than worrying about the future, we are to pray and petition God with thanksgiving in the midst of our present situation. The result will be that the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7). Imagine Peace standing guard like a fortress around our hearts and minds. I picture His peace like puffy, white clouds that I can sense around me, cushioning me against the storms of life. It is I who step out of that cushion when I let go of my connection to God, but it is He who pulls me back in when I draw close to Him in prayer.
No matter what life brings "just around the river bend," God is already there. " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future' " (Jer. 29:11). Claim that for yourself as you read it again in first person..."for I know the plans he has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future"...and choose to rest in his perfect peace today.
*If you find yourself in rough waters right now, click HERE to read "Take Heart".