Quiet Walks

"Sitting by the quiet stream is one of the best medicines for our fast-paced, helter-skelter, microwave society."





There's just something about being outside isn't there? As much effort as it takes, I have been enjoying so much getting outside and walking the dogs - last night was so beautiful, the air was just like silk, and the moon was lighting our way as it shone from behind the clouds. And the other morning the sun had just come up and there was this beautiful dew over everything, and then I saw eight mourning doves.

You can certainly appreciate the beauty of the scenery around you when you look out a window, but you miss out on the smell of the flowers, the feel of the air on your skin, and the sound of the birds as they call to one another from the trees...it's kind've the same with God's presence; you can watch others as they enter in, and you can listen to the things that God has revealed to someone else, but when you actually take that step into His presence and hear His voice for yourself, there's nothing else that can compare, and you wonder why you didn't do it before.

I read this the other day:

"Sitting by the quiet stream is one of the best medicines for our fast-paced, helter-skelter, microwave society. Simplicity and solitude are lost arts in our culture, even among Christians, which is one reason why so many believers complain that God seems so distant and unreal to them. We need a renewed emphasis on this facet of our spiritual lives. It's time to rediscover the power of contemplation, return to the quiet stream, and let the Good Shepherd restore our souls."