Spent a few days in the beautiful Ozarks of Northwest Arkansas. Asked the Lord to prepare my heart, to hear Him, and to prepare a message for me. In return, I heard nothing. Spiritually...I wasn't led one way or another. Several times throughout the weekend, I tried my best to have a "quiet moment"...even a quick moment to reflect on something spiritual. I was needing a metaphor...a parable...or something to get my inner Jesus going. I mean, it is fall, there are beautiful colors all around, it's harvest time, the air is crisp and cool, Thanksgiving is around the corner...surely I will find truth about the seasons of life, or spiritual growth, or rebirth, or blah, blah, blah...But yeah, still nothing...
In regards to a message, I left empty handed. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the time...and it was full. The weather was perfect, the foliage even better, and our time with the Hendrixes was excellent. But there would be nothing spiritually to learn or apply from this trip.
...and that's ok. Right? Its ok to be still...its ok to just enjoy...its ok to just soak it all in, and think about nothing. My mind was empty, but my heart was very full. There were no thoughts racing, no worries to contemplate, no plans to make. I was just simply living in the moment, enjoying my friends, my girls, and my wife. I enjoyed my coffee, my beer, my food, the sun, the trees, the dirt, the sky, etc, etc, etc. It was a simple weekend, with simple thoughts. Nothing heavy...no burdens. And though part of me feels a bit guilty for having a guilty pleasure, worry free weekend...I think I'm ok with not having much spiritually to show for it. Is that bad? I hope not...because that makes me a real bad person!
So after I returned from the trip, I gave up on using this weekend for a "greater good", or honoring the Lord with others through this blog and moved on to my "normal" week. And in return, the Lord reminded me that sometimes (really, all the time), I just need to use His Word...and His Truth to share with others. Although I typically share my perspective on Him, there is nothing...nothing better than scripture to reveal who Jesus is and how I feel about Him.
So I'm very thankful I don't have a message, and even more thankful that Jesus always has a message for you. So this is what I've read since returning:
-"For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy." Psalm 92:4
-"Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!" Psalm 95:2
-"Truly my soul finds rest in God" Psalm 62:1
-"He has made everything beautiful in it's time." Ecclesiastes 3:11
-"I am the true vine, and my father the Gardner." John 15:1
-"Thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere." 2 Corinthians 2:14
-"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." Lamentations 3:22-23
What: Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, Ozarks, Buffalo National River
When: November 8,9, 2014
Who: Hendrixes and Pasquels
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