“The Lord is My
Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he
leadeth me beside the still waters; He restoreth my soul.” –Psalm 23
Yesterday evening was a perfect day
for a final summer run with my Dad. After booking it around Southfork Circle, I
climbed the front grassy bank in exhaustion only to find myself in the midst of
glorious beauty. With the calm 70 degree summer breeze blowing against my
moistened face, I gazed at the hazy valleys, hills, and mountains which
reflected the last rays of the setting sun. Sitting next to my Dad, smelling Mom’s fried chicken through
the opened window, my soul was at rest.
It
seems odd that my summer has brought me to this place of restoration and peace.
One might glance at my summer calendar and completely deny the possibility of
rest and regeneration. Upon arriving in America in May, I immediately began an
Anatomy and Physiology course at the local community college. Weekends were filled
with trips to D.C. or Kentucky and the receiving of friends and family. With
the conclusion of that class commenced studying for the GRE, squeezed between
trips to visit wonderful friends and family in Kentucky and then Nebraska. Next
was two glorious, but exhausting weeks of Joni and Friends Disability Family
Retreats. Finally, after taking the GRE, I was able to focus on preparing for
the numerous classes I’ll be teaching this coming year, while exploring options
for future graduate work. My philosophy this summer, when it came to deciding
between different activities and trips, was, “DO IT ALL!” What can I say, I’m
my mother’s daughter.
But how is it that now, upon
reflecting upon my summer, I find my heart and mind revived, refocused, and at
peace? Ultimately, I think it’s because through the multitude of activities,
the God of Peace ushered me into His presence. To be near God: is there any greater good, any higher
aspiration? I am so thankful that He revealed Himself to me in such
multifarious ways. He showed me his awesome creativity and precision through
studies of the Human Body. He reminded me of the power and comfort of His love
through rekindled friendships. He used my family to show me His grace. He used
the lives of those whose disabilities have stripped away any semblance of
glory-obstructing pride to show me his very face. I saw his majesty in panoramic views of the Appalachian
Mountains. I felt His pleasure in hours of laughter, singing, and dancing. He
allowed me to bask in his presence in church worship, Toyota worship, and
front-porch worship. I felt Him. He was with me. And I fell more in love with
Him.
As I sit in the Houston airport,
anticipating another year in Nigeria, I pray that-- like Moses whose face shone
after being with the Almighty—my life will reflect the glory and grace which I
beheld this summer. There is much work to be done this year—many lesson plans
to write, many lectures to give, many papers to grade—but the greatest work
that I have the opportunity to participate in is reflecting the soul-nourishing
light of a loving God. “If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have
not love, (and surely this love is only possible in the presence of the one who
is named Love), I am nothing.”
I’m reminded of the waters which
Ezekiel sees flowing from the House of God:
“These waters…go
toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea
becoming fresh. It will come about that every living creature which swarms in
every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish,
for these waters go there and the others become fresh; so everything will live
wherever the river goes. And it will come about that fishermen will stand
beside it; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the spreading of
nets. Their fish will be… very many.” –Ezekiel 47
My prayer is that I might be part of that river, whose
source and energy is found in the House of God, who, being made fresh, brings
life. As I cross the ocean today, I pray that I carry with me the
soul-restoring peace that I have found in the presence of God this summer. I
pray that, as a result of the living water that I bring, many will be brought
to the Fisherman-Shepherd who promises goodness and mercy all the days of our
lives.
