Be Still

The glory of the Autumn leaves comes upon us quietly, gradually, but with splendor and beauty that is unequaled in its ability to take our breath away with awe. Friday I was able to have a brief moment in time to drink deeply of the fall specter of the changing and falling leaves in the midst of a too full schedule.

I was traveling home from presenting my first MMA assembly in Eastern Indiana (near Cincinnati OH) early Friday afternoon. Since Randy & Steve were still harvesting the crops I was enlisted to go and show the assembly for a wonderful Middle School. The MMA shows are loud, compelling and non-stop action and narration which grabs the attention of young people through their music, movies and language. That is wonderful and great as clearly the students responded by applauding, laughing, singing along, and then becoming silent during the emotionally charged parts of the show.

As I left the school, however, my soul longed for quiet. There was much to process, much to think about and much to pray about. The sun seemed to illuminate a deep and glorious beauty everywhere I looked as I drove on the Indiana interstate. I had a thought...why not truly enjoy the beauty of the day, and not drive by at 70 MPH (yes, that's the speed limit in IN on some stretches of I74). I set the GPS for Shades State Park which was on my way home.

The last time we had been at Shades State Park was October 1991. Steve & Greg were 6 years old. We spent a weekend hiking at Shades and Turkey Run Park as well as checking out the Covered Bridges that pepper the region. It was special that I was able to go back Friday, soak up the beauty of the leaves, and spend much time in quiet reflective meditation and prayer. The afternoon was not about conquering 3 trails, or taking prize winning photos (I did not have my camera). The afternoon was instead a very precious gift from God's hand to my very soul. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

The day began loudly and exuberantly with the MMA assembly, VOICES, but the afternoon was a soothing symphony of God's majestic, artistic touch in a small corner of IN. I was renewed and refreshed spiritually by my detour. I savored my time alone with my Lord and again acknowledged that He alone is sovereign in all things...even in decreeing the number of days He has ordained in advance for each one of His own. I rested also in the fact that some day He indeed will be exalted among the nations. That truth enlarges my perspective, especially in light of the upcoming election Tuesday.

So, 'Be Still...' enjoy the sunshine, celebrate the change of seasons, and know that God is indeed GOD.