IN GRATITUDE FOR THE SEAGULL

Early morning friend on Folly Beach, June 25, 2020

As I stroll the beach during sunrise, I am reminded of Rip Van Winkle who falls asleep high in the Catskill Mountains and sleeps for twenty years.  He awakens to discover that his sovereign is no longer King George III.  George Washington has been elected president of the United States of America.  Rip has slept through the American Revolution!

Everything has changed.  Rip hardly knew how to adjust.  

I am reminded that in his last sermon, Martin Luther King refers to Rip Van Winkle and urges his listeners to "remain awake through a great revolution."  This is a powerful reference to what is taking place in America.  Dr. King understood that the old institution of slavery was dissolving and a new era of racial equality was emerging, fueled by those who held onto the promise of America.  Racial disparities were being brought to the light and those who were awake would see what to do as history was being made right in front of their eyes.  Of course, there were plenty of people who were asleep.  Plenty of people who wanted to pull the covers over their heads and not see what was happening.  There were a mountain of people who believed that the current system of equality was just fine.  

"Stay awake,  my brothers and sisters!  I've been to the top of the mountain and seen the Promised Land!" Dr. King exhorts.  "One day little black children will play with little white children.  One day a person will be judged for the content of their character and not the color of their skin.  Stay awake and don't give up."  

That revolution for racial equality is still being fought by those who believe in the promise of America:  that all people are created equal.  We've come a long way in this country, but there is still a way to go.  It is all happening right in front of our eyes as the world has recently seen the murder of a black man in police custody and is demanding justice.  

Everything is changing.  

Perhaps the pandemic that has seized the globe is bringing with it another revolution.  For sure everything is changing day by day.  Life as we knew it is gone.  This is a new day.  

As I stroll the beach, a seagull flies up to me.  He is not frightened by my presence and looks right into my eyes.  Instead of flying away, he stays close as I admire his beauty.  I ponder how much I admire his ability to fly and his freedom to soar in the sky.  My heart opens in love as I look at him.  

The seagull reminds me how important it is to be awake and alert, yielded to the Spirit within me.  I feel totally connected to this little seagull in front of me and with everything all around me.  The Spirit connects me to the sunrise and the good earth and the ocean and all living things.  She makes me aware of the needs of others and connects me with all living things.  

The revolution is underway.  The Spirit leads those who are awake and surrendered.  She is redeeming the brokenness of the world one heart at a time.  

By the way, the seagull who prompted this reflection is pictured above.   Thanks, Mr. Seagull.   

BEING A RESERVOIR OF JOY

Peonies in Harvey's Garden, Winchester, TN

Lord, may Living Waters bubble up within me and flow so that dry, thirsty souls may drink and be refreshed.  For Jesus' sake.  Amen.

I am creating something new in you:  a bubbling spring of Joy that spills over into others' lives.  Watch in delight as My Spirit flows in and through you to bless others.  You are a reservoir of joy and other spiritual fruit that blesses all who come to you.  Do you know what a delight you are to Me?

WE BELONG TO THE EARTH AND TO EACH OTHER

Tranquil Lake Cheston, University of the South,  Sewanee, TN

On a hot summers day, I enjoy a walk around the lake.  As I walk, I often pray in gratitude for the animals I encounter,  even the corn snake lying quiet and still in my path, enjoying the warm sunshine.  I think about how good the sun feels on my body, too. 

Frequently, I see deer who seem perfectly at peace in my presence as I stroll past them.  They stand still and stare at me with their ears raised in a holy hush.  Sometimes I stop and stare right back at them with a blessing flowing from my heart.  What graceful, beautiful creatures they are with their luminous brown eyes!  A holy hush comes over me in their presence. 

At times like these, I feel a oneness with the deer and snakes and birds who serenade my walk and fill it with joy.  We all depend on the earth for our food, water and air.   She is our bountiful mother who feeds and cares for us.   

Lord, may my soul be as quiet and still as this tranquil lake so troubled people can experience peace in my presence and receive hope in the midst of their troubles.  May animals experience me as a calm presence that respects their rights to the bounty of the earth and appreciates their unique gifts.  May I take the time to really look at and bless the creatures I encounter.  May I never forget that we all belong to the earth and to each other.  Amen. 

ODE TO QUEEN MAGGIE

There she is
Simply being herself
Radiating feline glory.

Stretched out across the bed
Like a lion in bush country
Surveying her walled kingdom.

Tail lifting and snapping down
In a display of her regal power,
Enthroned and fully in charge.

Soft eyes acknowledging my presence
Then shifting to a passing shadow
Effortlessly taking in every movement.

Queen Maggie
So beautifully feline
So fully her perfect self.

SLEEPING BEAUTY AWAKENS

First light, Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee

In the quiet of morning, sleeping beauty awakens all around me.  The pink and purple hues of first light paint the horizon.  Gentle wind whispers among the trees and the air is permeated with misty freshness and fragrance.  The melody of innumerable birds fills the woods with song.  I am aware that everything I need is here.  I breathe in the beauty of the earth and the wisdom of the trees and the love that enfolds me. 

Morning mist on Kanuga Lake, Hendersonville, NC

THE INVITATION

Sometimes the invitation is clear.
God invites you to walk through an open door.
The door is both inviting and intimidating,
Simultaneously evoking intrigue and reluctance.

Ambivalent feelings surface
as you wrestle with the choice before you.
Feelings of vulnerability and apprehension,
mingled with excitement and expectancy.

What awaits me on this unknown path?
What adventures are out there?
What new challenges?

You'll be tested and grow
Your horizons will surely expand
Your world made bigger.

Standing here on the threshold of decision
You know it will be easier and certainly more comfortable
to stay right where you are
With what is predictable and familiar.

The invitation is God's.
The choice is yours.