Revelations from a Quiet Place

It's taken me some time, but I'm now ready to share the profound experience I had on my birthday with you. It's taken on new significance since I saw the latest episode of Lost, where Locke enters a sweat lodge to communicate with the island.

I woke up on Tuesday and opened my cards. One of them was handmade by Jenni and contained a verse from Psalm 37. Another card from Rob, Susan, Benji and Katy was based on one of Rob's paintings and was called shine, it has a man standing with arms outstretched on a sunny hilltop beside a tree.

"Shine" by Rob Barley

I am certain that Rob had remembered a conversation we had had earlier about my desire for a late November birthday where the sun was shining and leaves were still on the trees.

Rob telephoned me later and suggested that I might like to visit one of my "thinking places". I looked out the window and saw that I had been blessed with a sunny day after all... and there were indeed leaves on the trees. So I packed my Bible into my bag and headed off up to Cold Comfort Lane. Now most of my old thinking places are long overgrown from my childhood days, but as time has gone on I've been fortunate to find new ones opening up. Thinking places for me are small and subtle. They normally follow a simple format... a strong tree next to a gentle brook that is slightly off the beaten track. Such places are a good place for me to hammer out things that are on my heart, mind and soul. If you don't have one... I strongly recommend you find yourself one. They have proved invaluable to me in the past.

Anyway, after about 15-20 minutes, I reached my destination and sat myself down on a large knotted root of an oak tree. I entered a short period of prayer and allowed myself to be immersed in the Holy Spirit before reading out Psalm 37, it's a long one so I'll pull out the most relevant points:

"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause
like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when
men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. "

and...

"Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of
peace. "

Both these scriptures are very relevant to me at the moment. I have seen people receive earthly blessings that they have not lived up to a standard of having been worthy to receive... and yet I remain untested... still a sapling while their trees blossom. However, I feel God is acknowledging my feelings but saying that I should not let the success of such people become a distraction. God has a plan for me and he has clearly already begun it. I should spend what time there is enjoying my relationship with him. When the time comes, when everything starts to kick off... all those needs will be provided for.

I just need to remain at peace with God and myself and the circumstances I find myself in... until the time is right.

It just goes to show, that you only have to allow yourself to be available to God ina quiet moment... and he can reveal so much to you.... though don't expect it to be what you want - that is arrogance. Instead, expect it to be what you need - that is obedience

For those of you who found all that a little heavy going, here is a picture of me as drawn by my godson Benji...

"Uncle Nick" by Benji Barley