Tag: peace

Step Home

On By Charis PsalloIn Water5 Comments

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“In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourselves and be still. Wait upon God, and feel His good presence; this will carry you evenly through your day’s business.”
– William Penn

This has been a week of rush and noise. Literally and figuratively.

Actually, it’s been flat out crazy. At times the stuff happening around us has been so over the top all I can do is laugh and say, “God? It’s yours. There is no way I can keep up to this. I know you have a plan and you can use anything as raw material so here you go. Take this noise in my heart and this worrisome rushing about because you paid for it. It’s not doing me any good. If you would replace it with your peace I would be ever so grateful.”

After a night of very little sleep I got up well before dawn to pray. I was ready to go into “war mode” when I felt him say, “Be still.” I waited. “In an atmosphere of quietness and confidence you will find your trust.”

In spite of the urgency of the situation this time I sat still and refrained from giving God advice as I waited for his presence.

I realized that IS war mode. Positioning ourselves in peace and confidence in the One who is faithful is like sitting on a huge rock beside a rushing river. The water changes course. The rock does not.

Later that day I received news that He answered in a way that was better than I imagined.

We face another situation this week to which I can see no solution that will be satisfying to everybody involved. This post is another sermon-to-self. I am reminding myself to step home within myself to find the One who promised to never leave. I am learning to wait and be still. It doesn’t come naturally, but He’s working on changing me.

His good presence will carry us through.

Just Give Me a Moment

On By Charis PsalloIn Black and white, Photography1 Comment

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I remember those wonderful summer days at the lake. Around about five o’clock families would pick up their toys and towels and wander off to prepare supper. If I was lucky I could stay there while the others slap-slapped their way up the trail to the camper in their flip-flop sandals. Sometimes in that transitional space between hours I had the dock to myself.

I trailed my hand in the cool water, smelling the scent of damp wood against my cheek and felt the gritty sand drying on my legs as I lay on my stomach on the gently rocking wooden island. A lull stretched beyond the distant sounds of swings clanging in the park and canoes scraping the pebbles on the shore. Smoke from barbecues leaked out from between tree branches and drifted heavenward like summer worship.

I had no profound thoughts, no plans, no particular emotion. The dock was like an island in time.

That’s kind of how I feel this week. After the drama and trauma of the deaths and funerals of both my Dad and my brother-in-law in less than two months I am tired, but not overwhelmed. I believe both of them are with the Lord. But I don’t have the energy to either celebrate or cry right now.

It feels like Jesus is just sitting quietly here with me like a close friend, making no demands, requiring no soothing of his own emotions, making no particular suggestions about what I should do next. I’m tired, but I’m OK. We’re OK.

In a while Mom will call me to put on some dry clothes and help set the table. There will probably be some game involving a ball or frisbee that the boys want me to join in on later. Dad will lay down his novel and get up from his lawn chair to chop wood for the fire we will sit around when the crickets sing in the darkness. Tomorrow we pack up and drive back to the city and get back to work.

But for now, on this little square island, there is only the sound of the waves lapping the planks, and the gentle sun pressing its comfort into my stretched out body, and I am at peace.

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Utterly Pure Wisdom

On By Charis PsalloIn Flowers, Photography4 Comments

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The wisdom that comes from God is first utterly pure,

then peace-loving,

gentle,

approachable,

full of tolerant thoughts and kindly actions,

with no breath of favouritism

or hint of hypocrisy.

And the wise are peace-makers who go on quietly sowing for a harvest of righteousness—in other people and in themselves.

(James 3: 16,17 Phillips)

Deeper

On By Charis PsalloIn Mountains, Photography6 Comments

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Solitude is the place where we can connect with profound bonds that are deeper than the emergency bonds of fear and anger.

– Henri Nouwen

When I was a child I asked Jesus into my heart because I was afraid of God. I hoped Jesus would protect me from the wrath to come. I heard stories about how the world was going to get worse and worse and then a terrible tribulation was coming. My unspoken prayer was really, “I’ll do whatever you want. Please don’t hurt me.” I was essentially accusing God of soul-rape.

The way something is established is often the way it must be maintained. A relationship built on fear needs more fear to keep it going. I heard plenty of dire warnings.

Eventually I became tired of being afraid. I let go of that angry controlling God. I didn’t care if he killed me.

That’s when I began to hear a sweet alluring song in the wilderness. The quiet Voice of love sang to me in the place of solitude where the harsh lying voices that provoked fear of Him no longer motivated me.

A relationship established on God’s love is maintained by God’s love, not by my performance or my ability to love someone I was afraid of.  It’s about His faithfulness, His joy, His peace, not mine. I had only to respond to that love and his peace became mine.

It was not difficult.

Hearts and Minds

On By Charis PsalloIn Mountains, Photography, Sky, WaterLeave a comment

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Don’t worry over anything whatever;

tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer,

and the peace of God which transcends human understanding,

will keep constant guard over your hearts

and minds

as they rest in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:6,7 Phillips)

The Courage to Not Take Up Arms

On By Charis PsalloIn Uncategorized4 Comments

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On Remembrance Day, amid all the photos posted on social media of grandfathers who fought in the wars, I would like to honour my grandfather, the deserter. He held some sort of minor rank in the Russian army that allowed him to see early that the Czar was sending troops out horribly under-equipped for war. He sent his men home and fled the country with a price on his head.

Remember that scene in Dr. Zhivago? It’s just drama, of course, but somewhere in there is a story like my grandfather’s.

Twice now I have seen a TV show about ancestry with interviews of famous people who were ashamed to find out their forefathers chose not to join “the Patriots” who won the violent conflict that established the direction their nation took. Instead their great great great grandpappies (or their surviving families) also fled to Canada. The famous peoples’ reactions upon discovering this news puzzled me. In Canada their forefathers’ choices are not a source of shame. They are called United Empire Loyalists. In Canada they are heroes, ancestors who are honoured, not sources of embarrassment.

That’s the way it is with war. Often you can’t tell heroes from villains, loyalists from rebels, patriots from deserters, until the history books are written, and even then it depends on who writes them.

Grandfather’s son grew up to fight in WWII in the Netherlands. Uncle was overwhelmed by their genuine expressions of gratitude when he visited Europe 40 years later. He knew he had done the right thing.

Sometimes courage is fighting for the King or for the President, and sometimes courage is laying down your arms in the midst of a stupid, pointless conflict and dismissing your men, even if it means risking standing in front of a firing squad yourself. The man in the photo spent the rest of his life looking over his shoulder, but he also knew he had done the right thing.

Thank you, Grandfather.

 

 

 

On Guard

On By Charis PsalloIn Mountains, Photography, Trees and forests, Water8 Comments

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I went down to the river one evening this week. It was so peaceful. We can never take peace for granted.

After yesterday’s events in Canada, when a gunman shot a young reserve soldier on ceremonial duty at the War memorial in Ottawa and then entered the very halls of the parliament building with his weapon, I am even more aware of the need to pray.

There is more than one way to stand on guard. We need to pray for all those in positions of leadership, and for those who put their lives on the line to protect us.

Those who are called to pray and bring the needs of this country to the throne of God also do guard duty.

God keep our land glorious and free –and peaceful.

A Holy Mess

On By Charis PsalloIn Mountains, Photography, Trees and forests, Uncategorized3 Comments

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I want to be a person who is always at peace inside.

I’m getting better, but I’m not there yet. Until then, I would rather be a person who handles stress by cleaning and organizing. At least there would be slightly less chaos at the end of the day. When I am in the throes of useless obsession about a problem, I can step over mounds of rubble and not even notice. When the problem is resolved I am knee-deep in another one of my own making. It’s probably symbolic of the uselessness of worry.

People who clean obsessively are trying to find a measure of control in an atmosphere where things appear to be out of control. People who mull a problem over and over and over in their minds (aka worry) are doing the same thing, of course. We want to understand the eternal repercussions of every decision, every move toward the heights. We want a sense of certainty in the fog of unknowns.

Here’s the thing about change: It’s messy, and disorienting.

I finally got around to cleaning out some  closets  – but first I had to pull everything out and dump it on the floor and the bed. There was stuff in the back corners I don’t even remember putting there. (And since I haven’t missed it in five years it seemed like a good opportunity to bless the thrift shop.) But for a while the room looked like an episode of a hoarders TV show – piles of essentials and distractions and embarrassment and potential and memories all heaped together.

That’s what my life feels like this week.

Some people who choose to pursue God with all their hearts get the holy cuddles and effervescent joy special.  Some of us get thrown into the lake.

What? But, Lord, I thought I would get what she was getting. I wanted kindergarten happy-happy free-play time.  I got “let’s get serious.” I can’t touch the bottom! I’m drowning!

No you’re not!

I am!

I won’t let you drown, but you’re going to be miserable if you don’t get out of that stroller and kick the feet I gave you. I want to take you out swimming in the deep end with me, but I can’t if you don’t start using what you already have. Now kick your feet – and use your arms. That’s what they’re there for.

The fruit of the Spirit, like the Holy Spirit is already in you because I am in you. It’s my fruit, my character.  But the peace I bring you won’t do any good unless you pick it up and use it.

These circumstances are not just an attack of the devil to show you how much he hates you and wants to hinder you (although he does). They are meant to cause you to dig deeper, to lean harder on Me to discover the resources already placed within you – stuff you have never even taken out for a spin yet.

How does this peace thing work? Ask Me – I’ll show you.

And here’s some chaos to practise on.

Bursting Into Song

On By Charis PsalloIn Photography, Trees and forests, Water4 Comments

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You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
(Isaiah 55:12 NIV)