Tag Archives: god

Breathless Etchings of the Soul

When it all comes down to the realization of the evidence to which we have been afforded over possibly a very lengthy portion of our lives, there comes a time to accept or at least to earnestly consider, that a gift, or a multitude of gifts, by which we have been blessed are our purpose through which God expects us to use to His glory. Like the finger upon the keyboard, on single tap, a note fills the air, and suddenly, our thoughts become transformed into a flowing stream of unending scenes of waterfalls, mountain meadows, and all manner of beautification to which we are drawn by the Spirit into an undulating dance of rapturous bliss and joy. Ann Lamott put it best: “Inspiration comes like a train moving through the landscape. You see it approaching while you’re hanging laundry or doing something mundane, and you have to race inside to catch it before the last car—the caboose—disappears.”[1]

But how does such inspiration manifest itself? Could it be that when we allow ourselves to imbibe of such wonders, we are as a child being led by the hand of the Father down a sparsely lit path through a dark and foreboding forest, where alone we would shudder with terror? Yet, as now, the sense of protection, that wall of impenetrable love, envelopes us, for where there is perfect love, there can be no fear and in such a place, we are free to find something planted deep inside; something when acted upon, seems to derive is source from someplace beyond our own conscription of creativity, someplace beyond logic and reason. When the world’s inhibitions are removed, it’s like finding that crystal stream gurgling through the rocks worn smooth with an eternity of time, some laden with the glowing greenness of soft, downy moss – our soul becomes refreshed and renewed, overflowing with more than we can contain. Bursting forth in a flood of breathless etchings, the ethereal becomes substantial as we strive to quickly put it on paper, play it through the keyboard, or splash its essence upon the canvas of life. How fleeting they are, those gracious seconds when in visions the Lord sets before us of His marvelous works slip beyond our grasp.

Today, seek to find that precious gift God has placed inside you, and find a place where you can hear the still, small voice. Give breath to that which begs to come forth, and glorify Him in the process. #thanksbetoGod

[1] Lamott, Anne. 1994. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Inspirational

The Taunts of Torrents

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23

A pale grayness peered through the driving rain as the car’s wipers struggled to keep up. Another late night, another early morning; the time between inconsequential except for the desirousness of sleep that beckoned helplessly. Like a maiden that stands on the porch, sheltered from the torrential downpour, bidding her prince, her dearest love, goodbye as he rides off, departing for the calling of the war which awaits beyond the shelter of the nearby mountaintops, so does one leave the warm bed on days like this. The only consolation, that warm mug of bitter brew that awaits at the top of the hill in the cozy coffee shop, and the beloved, worn Bible – God’s word; like an old friend, they await your arrival.

As the car door shuts, the cold, driving rain forces you to step a pace or two quicker beneath the overhang of the shop’s storefront. In the back of your mind, you try to assure yourself that even though the dying car battery has already caused you to brave the elements once, hopefully, there will be enough charge to get you started and off to the next stage of the day’s journey. Settling into the bench amongst the row of singular, small tables with a warm mug in hand, you are reminded that even in the midst of the storms, you have learned to find joy amongst the crashing waves and lightning bolts. Even though the car might fail, even though the roads were covered with water, you made it safely, and now, find comfort in those familiar pages: the shelter, the peace of Christ that passes all understanding.

Yes, there might be ominous skies above, the roads might be washed away, but we can know that there will be joy, even in the darkest of mornings.

#thanksbetoGod

Leave a Comment

Filed under Inspirational

B.B. King and a Bald Guy

The grizzly 21 degrees meets you at the door with a cold, frosty mug of contempt as you leave behind the warmth and comfort of that humble abode from whence you call home, which lately has been barely a place where you briefly lay your head to rest. The rapidity with which the hours of a day pass become incredulous, the blur a mind-numbing flurry of people, relationships, and learning, all part of the greater ministry, their incomprehensible parts intertwined in the great dance of perpetuity through which we are traveling, God’s plan for our lives.

From the darkened corner of Bald Guy Coffee Roastery, my temporary place of repose, the strains of B.B. King waft above the aroma of roasted beans and brew. As with any song, notes like stepping stones of a garden path take one back to another time, another season of life. It was the early nineties; UF had just finished building the beautiful Center for Performing Arts and Art Gallery across the road from our campus housing, University Village South, on the outer realms of the University’s property. Eager to attend, when we heard that B.B. King would be performing, it was the perfect excuse to take a much-needed break from my Engineering studies and enjoy the other side of life’s journey, partaking in something besides the pursuit of academic success. Feeding the soul, nourishing that which is imperceptible, the non-qualitative negotiables which inspire are as important as those honorable goals and accolades, however misguided. One might argue that we should seek to feed solely upon God’s Word, which indeed in itself is of premiere importance, yet God would not want us to travel through this life without finding time to appreciate those things of his creation, even if they from gifts bestowed upon beings within His masterpiece. So, it could be said of music, art, and literature – Man’s participation in His splendidness.

Mankind’s replication of God is never as magnificent as the original piece of work. When hearing a recording of a song, a replication of a beautiful piece of artwork, or the summary of a literary masterpiece, although they may be inspiring and nearly perfect in their copy of the original, they never can compare to hearing, seeing, or reading the original. As the digitized melody mimics B.B.’s course, soulful voice, the memory of that night returns like a fog slowly crawling up the mountain, overflowing into the crevices until it submerges the air in which you stand.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Inspirational

Seeking Him

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

– Matthew 7:7-8

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

– Matthew 21:22

 

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

– Jeremiah 29:13

“In all the ways that I love thee Lord, let me count the ways”

– Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The dim light reflects in the dark mahogany depths of my coffee mug as spirited vapors swirl upward while my hands grasp the warmth of the essence within, encouraging the words that speak to me from the letters on the page written so many centuries before. In them, as with the steam from the cup, there lies a spiritual essence of God speaking to us if only we recognize its presence. For the question that presents itself this morning in so many different ways is this,

“What do we seek in life?” Do we seek God in all things, or does it take a philharmonic orchestra and fireworks to stir us enough to entreat a momentary thought? Or do we take the time to meditate in prayer, listening to that still small voice for discernment? Might we search for the precious crumb of Godliness in the most minute detail of our lives, whether inanimate or alive, not finding Him literally in those things but finding his fingerprints, the forensic remnants of the Master’s hand upon his creation?

Walking amongst the scenic boughs of the forested landscape, it’s easy to encompass one’s thoughts about a Creator, especially when backlit by a vibrant sunrise or sunset. It takes an extra level of focus, however, to find something transcendent in the daily grind we call life. My eyes often grow weary reading code as it scrolls down the screen, one line of numbers and text after another – it can become overwhelmingly hypnotic, to the point you can literally forget to leave your chair for hours. Yet, you must be able to press the brake pedal and sit back, and like the circus juggler spinning multiple pates upon the end of long pool cue-like sticks, for an instant relish in the moment, realizing that through all the multitude of monitors, various automated scrolling windows, and flashing icons all vying for your attention, there is something magnificent at work. From the tiniest beginning of computing, the single bit, to the vastness of the implications of AI, there has to be something working through us, something that drives mankind to pursue the development of technology beyond what we might be able to control. It is in this reflection that we might find, as with the sunrises bursting through the distant tree line, that we are not the masters of our realm any more than the sand crab is of his shell. We exist because He hath made us, and not of ourselves. When we seek Him in all things, we find that there are expanses of vastness while infinitesimally small nanoparticles that keep the brightest scientist challenged to understand. It is as if God unveils one little wrinkle of His infinite being, one minuscule particle at a time. To mankind, they become life-changing discoveries. Meanwhile, you can almost hear God laugh.

Today, take the time to pause and reflect, seeking God in even the most obscure item. Although it might seem elusive, be patient, and perhaps you will find that door upon which to knock, that it might be opened into a deeper love of the Father. God is always there waiting for us to seek Him; all we have to do is awaken to this realization and find a life beyond expectations.

Seek Him with all your heart and soul, and you will be blessed beyond measure.

Thanks be to God.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Inspirational

The Abyss Before You

Standing upon the precipice means one has gained the height by some method of exertion. In the moment of laborious effort, the heart still pounding as the lungs attempt to regain their foothold on sequestering the precious air that spans the depths of the abyss spreading out before you, one cannot help to be taken aback. Suddenly, the breathtaking reality does something quite unnatural and unexpected in that its grandeur is absorbed into the consciousness of one’s soul, permeating that worldly layer of rationality and legalism to become one with the animated spirit within. For once we are afforded a glimpse beyond the veil to which beforehand we were excluded, partly of our own preemptive nature, but solely by God. It wasn’t until the ultimate sacrifice of His only Son that we were afforded access. Some look at that invitation with skeptical ineffability. As one might see the spectacular and dismiss it as just another canyon, others partake of that sustenance of incomprehensible serenity and sup it to the lips as one might communion. One is merely amused, while the other is changed.

So, at that moment, once more, we are given the opportunity to partake in something transcendent of our human nature, to peek into the chasm of eternity, and, if even for a brief second, sense something greater than anything we might imagine of our own accord. In this instance, God’s Word commends this vision as follows, “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”[1]

Thanks be to God.

[1] Galatians 6:7-8 KJV

Leave a Comment

Filed under Inspirational

Glorified in Glory

“’ God,’ said Pascal, ‘instituted prayer in order to give his creatures the dignity of causality.”[1]

– C.S Lewis quoting Pascal

The thoughts of mortality and the subsequent departure of our soul from this earth came to mind. It wasn’t so much the morbidity of the subject that enticed my thinking to continue in this line of thought, but rather, what wonderous adventures await us in the eternal ethereal of existence. We are offered the image of the risen Christ as an example of the preeminent figure of the glorified body. The transition from this life to the next seems to be the greatest obstacle or fear of that imposed tragedy of situations.

The limitations of the finite mind relegate us to trepidation when considering the passing from one realm of existence into another. How much greater it will be when we are one step closer to our Creator, not as infinite, yet more so once we have shed this shell of decaying flesh and taken on our new body. In that moment of stepping onto the far distant shore, we will not only be changed in the twinkling of an eye, but in the exact moment, a new sense of being will overwhelm what we once saw through the limited perceptions of our finite soul’s blinders into one of trying to look into a blinding light of the realization of the expanse of eternity – the finite finally stepping from the terrestrial into the extraterrestrial.

With squinting vision, whatever that may be, we will peer into the vast illuminated abyss of the heavens, trying to make sense of what appears before us. As one trying to connect the imagery with known context, we’ll struggle to grasp what we find, yet we must also consider that we will not be the same as now. Even as I write this, one must keep reminding oneself that we will not have the same ocular abilities, and the same would hold true for all of the natural senses on which we came to rely on when living upon earth. No, in that heavenly realm, in the glorified body, not only will our ability to sense be changed, but the ability to comprehend will also take on an all-new quality never before imagined. It is here the joy of that which is to come should overtake us in the moment, perhaps making the tingling you feel when something spiritually grabs you and awakens something inherently built within us that allows for a moment, that split second when hit by an epiphany, you finally see the veil lifted and God’s treasure not built by hands, where no moth nor rust can reach, becomes a reality – existing in His presence the greatest gift of all.

[1] C.S. Lewis – The World’s Last Night, pg. 8

Leave a Comment

Filed under Inspirational

There Will Be Joy in the Morning

The church service was concluding as everyone stood to sing the closing hymn, as the older woman leaned into my earshot and told me of an interesting place to eat that she owned high up in the mountain. “It’s a nice place. It’s really well managed, but those dryers have been such a torment. You’ll have to try it out sometime.”

Why not today? Before I knew it, we, for supposedly the lady that had mentioned the novel eating establishment and hotel was the proprietor, insisted on taking us there and accompanied us on the bus that was now driving us up the mountain. There was an amicable conversation fluttering through the transport as the driver, who didn’t seem to be present, maneuvered the craft on the long gravel road that maintained a continual ascent. As I half listened, my eyes kept ahead through the front glass of the large church van and noticed that the road was becoming ever more steep. In fact, high upon the horizon where the roadway vanished, the top of the mountain appeared as a massive wave, a land tsunami, the crest curling over so that the road itself, should we manage to maintain our current course direction, would take us on an almost inverted path of travel. Meaning, that as we approached, what I feared most began to transpire. Those who weren’t buckled into their seats were now hanging from whatever they could grab onto to keep from being tossed into the roof of the bus, which had suddenly become the floor. We were heading into the tube of the wave, the inversion of reality, myself finding my grip slowly weakening until I knew that if this lasted much longer, I would find myself thrashed about the insides of this vessel, as a stone being tossed about in the tumbler of a stone polishing machine. Trying to see where the non-existent driver was, for now, it became apparent that there was only some spirit in control; I tried to careen my head so that the wave of earth, road, and gravel seemed to be about to thrash our transport into the depths of the valleys below, we remarkably exploded through the crest. We flew through the air, landing with a tremendous bump on the opposite side of the peak, rumbling down the heavily wooded backroad. An instant of thought revealed the map of our destination, or perhaps a screen within the machine that carried us displayed it, one cannot discern. For there before us, was the image of the winding mountain road, through hairpin after hairpin curves threaded tortuously between massive boulders and outcroppings, till it reached an almost magical structure built on the cusp of the mountainside, overlooking the expanse before, as if on the very top of the world.

We pulled up to the wrap-around front porch of the darkly wood-siding structure our hostess called the utopia of mountains. Like bewildered cats trying to stand after having been tossed about in some pet carrier, we exited the bus, wobbly, hair and clothing disheveled, each being wondering where we had landed. The wide front steps reached a welcoming, extensive porch lined with rocking chairs and an abundant amount of comfortable seating. Staff, both from the institution, who wore golf shirts with the emblem of the hotel embroidered on the left chest of their shirts, that managed the obscure resort, but folks from Cracker Barrel scurried about, each intent upon serving their guests, many of whom were seated at random tables or chairs accompanied with smaller end tables on the porch and inside the massive, log complex.

“Make yourselves at home,” our hostess shouted as she quickly disappeared into the depths of the establishment, barking orders to staff as she passed.

Following her orders, I found myself wandering from room to room. I happened upon some remote alcove in which a Middle Eastern man, well dressed, with clothing as manicured as his hair, was fretting over the condition of the dryer in which he had placed his clothes. “It’s just now drying,” he retorted, confounded by the diabolical machine. I walked up and immediately noticed lent stuck around some stem, like a lever that was to be opened if need be. I haphazardly reached up and pulled the knob outward, and immediately there was a rush of hot air spewing dryer lent out as if gasping for breath; whereupon, the sound of the tumbler tossing his clothes inside seemed to take on a normal hum of proper operation. Perhaps a green led lit that had previously been red. His face glowed with relief. “Thank you, my friend,” he said, extending his hand to shake mine.

“My pleasure. Where are you from,” I asked, noticing a lot of international guests rambling about.

“I’m from Iran,” he said, smiling with a broad white toothy grin. “We come here because this place is known far and wide for its hospitality and tranquility – closer to God if you will.”

Then I awoke, realizing another dream, maybe not flying this time, nonetheless, the disheveled feeling of having been tossed about. Sitting my feet on the floor, my thoughts turned to prayers as the comforting feeling of being loved unconditionally by a Father who would share with me the excitement of adventure, if only in sleep, and was there for me to lead me through the day. His covenant is to love us even if we fail to love Him.

Sometimes, it takes an inverted bus ride up a tsunami of a mountain to get our attention, making us aware that the life we lead can easily be turned inside out, leaving us in despair and confusion. Trusting in our heavenly Father to lead us, we can rest in the assurance that everything will be set right in the end, even if we must pass through what seem insurmountable odds, through the darkest canyons of cancer and suffering. There will be joy in the morning.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Inspirational

Repose in a Snow Globe

The slow advance of the day’s light finds me sitting inside the warmth of the coffee shop while outside, the snow blows sideways, adding to the night’s accumulation of winter. The coming semester looms over one’s thoughts as preparations for the horde of students returning to campus are just around the corner. The inclement weather had forced me to remain home, hunkering down by the fireplace, trying to stay warm. In the solitude, there was the sense of finding a footing on the being God created within me. Too often, we get caught up in the hustle of the world, chasing after those elusive goals and dreams, only to find we become lost in their deceptive approval of our existence. It’s not until we, either of our own will or it is forced upon us by some natural phenomena, step aside for a moment and let the snowflakes fall in the snow globe of life, settling where they may and then peering upon the landscape so beautifully adorned by her mantle of white.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.”

May you find time to ponder life’s journey somewhere in God’s word and be patient as he restores your soul. If possible, find a nice warm fire to repose by as you read a good book in the leisure of your own blessings and succumb to knowing that you are wonderfully made – may you ponder those things in your heart for the remainder of this snowy day.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Inspirational

When Thyme is Not Enough (Part I)

By Timothy W. Tron, Dec. 2024

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

The young man, his vibrant young twenty-something body, bent over his work, methodically applying the mortar to the stone, an act that was as much second nature as it was from the knowledge of masonry. His family had been masons for as long as memory could recall. The few years of his labor in the field of stonemasonry had brought with it not only the wisdom of the traditioned craft but also the appealing nature of broad shoulders, with a predominant abundance of muscle throughout his body. His long auburn hair was kept in check with a strand of leather pulled behind, not for aesthetics but purely for functional reasons. The crisp autumn air couldn’t keep the sweat from his bare arms glistening in the late afternoon sun.

With each application of mortar, the bond between the rocks, came a gradual satisfaction, knowing that once this was finished and dried, one would never have to do it again. From there, it would last at least his lifetime, if not far beyond those who might come after. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost upon his thoughts as he considered the fleeting, temporary nature of the one applying the mud as to that upon which he acted, being all the more permanent. Although the act of laying the stone was momentary, the remnants of its condition would last well beyond the mere minutes of what it took to build whatever structure was under construction. In a sense, it was as if masonry provided for, at least from the mason’s perspective, a bank whereby time could be collected, however painful its labor might be. The verse from the ninetieth psalm came to mind, “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us; and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”[1]

While he worked, he thought of the years of his not-so-distant youth; the time flew like the water that rushed over the nearby cataracts, plummeting with a roar into the basins of boulders below, forever gone, eventually flowing unto the vast expanse of the sea. How he wished he could retrieve one of those many carefree days when he and his childhood sweetheart, Katelyn Wallace, raced about the many dales and enchanted forests of their mountain refuge. There was wont for nothing, and the highlands of their Scottish homeland was their never-ending playground. Now, in his father’s apprenticeship, Angus MacRae, he was fully restrained to the daily grind. The few hours afforded to freedom were usually severely hampered by the physical exhaustion from the day’s work, although the MacRae clan was known to revel in merriment as hard as they labored in the field. Yet, every evening, no matter how long the day’s work had been, there was always time for practicing swordsmanship with his brothers, something their father held esteemed as high as the calling to be a mason – of course, all being one step below serving God. The senior Angus’ skill with the broadsword, a gift from God, he would exclaim, was another part of the reason he was still alive, and his teaching was sought after from all parts of the region.

Rapt in his work, Griffin didn’t hear the riders emerge below the knoll where he and his brother’s toiled. It was the late twelfth century, 1187, and turmoil plagued the Middle East. Men from the nearby village had brought troubling news from afar. Yosuf Ibn Ayyub, known to the West as Saladin, had captured Jerusalem and, with it, the relic of the True Cross. In so doing, he converted all Christian Churches into Mosques except for the Holy Sepulcher. There was a call from the church leaders, such as Pope Gregory the Eighth and Pope Clement the Third, for men of fighting age to join in yet another Crusade – this would be the third such ordeal. Angus had survived the Second such, but many of his fellow countrymen weren’t so fortunate. Their lives ended before they had begun.

Later that evening, after the men had washed up after their swordplay, Angus, seated at the head of the long lodge table, looked at his wife Fiona at the opposite end. There was an air of satisfaction in his broad bearded grin that reflected the gentle spirit of his beloved. Around him, his family were seated, seven boys and five girls, now all grown, most with their own families. The men mostly favored their father in his wildly reddish hair, although his beard had slowly been infiltrated with swaths of age, adding to the wizened words he often spoke. The ladies were as virtuous as their fair-skinned mother, who, like their father, had hints of auburn amongst the golden hair most kept in long, intricate braids.

Many things troubled Angus before the family members began to congregate around the dinner table that evening. By God’s divine providence, he had survived the Second Crusade, for he was the only member of his clan who had fought to return alive. This was not the first time God had smiled upon his life’s journey. For, while abroad, traveling through foreign lands toward Jerusalem, he felt God telling him to slow down, to take time to find more to this journey than the brutal fighting and killing he would find on the battlefield. While he stopped to reflect on what God meant by this, he met and befriended a holy man known only as the Prophet of Tarsus. The elderly sage took the young Angus under his wing, teaching him for over a year to read and write the ancient Greek and Hebrew texts, as well as sharing passages from his most precious and cherished book, the Bible. The elder prayed over Angus, that he would survive the battles, and that he would return to visit him upon his return. Angus, knowing that it was God’s hand that had kept him alive, made sure he passed by the home of the Prophet, only to find that he had passed. However, before his death, he had bequeathed his most treasured belonging to the young Celt, whom God had assured him would someday return, his Bible.

That particular evening, Angus MacRae felt obliged, considering the recent news, to read from that beloved, ancient text once more. With great care, he opened the parchment with the hand-scribed letters across its weathered pages and began to read from the book of Ecclesiastes, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.[2]

“Let us pray,” the elder concluded as he gently closed the book, bowing his head as others followed.

While his father prayed, Griffin’s mind was racing through a torrent of thoughts within. What was his father trying to say with this scripture? Was the next Crusade the next chance that was going to happen to them all? What evil net was about to be cast upon them? While pondering all these words, he couldn’t help thinking of his bride-to-be, his childhood sweetheart, Katelyn. Had she heard of the news of war? Their family lived a couple of ridges over from theirs and seemed to always be the last to hear of any outside reports. Griffin, the youngest of the seven brothers, was the last single sibling. The others lived in the compound with their families, as in most ancient patriarchal Celtic societies.

Angus closed the prayer with, “And all God’s people say it,” everyone responded with, “Amen!”

As the plates of meat and bread were passed around, Griffin knew that he had to get to Katelyn as soon as possible. He had so many questions, and time was of the essence. There was talk of leaving on the fortnight should the men resolve to go and fight. Being pressed for time, Griffin hurriedly shoved as much food into his mouth, swallowing nearly whole bites without chewing and washing it down with gulps of water. Finishing well before the others, he asked to be excused. His father, knowing the pressing engagement and his son’s youth, acknowledged his quick departure but reminded him before approving, “Be ever mindful of thy betrothment, and know that if you decide to move its date to sooner than later, I can stand in for the priest until such time as one can be obtained when we return, that is, if it is God’s will, we shall return.”

Griffin nodded and was gone before the lamplight had time to catch up with his disappearance.

Picking the fastest horse from the corral, he lit upon the beast and rode it as hard as the wind would allow, mud and rock flying from beneath the steed’s hooves in a flurry of youthful exuberance and tormented heart. The full moon overhead lit the trace of a road as one might have seen a specter flying down its course that night. He pulled upon the main lodge of the Wallace clan just as they were winding down their evening meal. Katelyn was helping the other womenfolk clean up the table when Griffin slid in the side room door, hoping to catch her eye without others noticing. He remained in the shadows until she came close enough to grab her harm. At first, startled by the hand reaching from the darkness, she started to scream, but Griffin quickly showed his face and pulled her to him. She sat down the bucket she had been carrying as he pulled her to him, both embracing with a deep, passionate kiss. It had only been two days since they had last seen one another, but it seemed an eternity in a young love’s timeframe.

They continued their visit outside the lodge, where there would be more privacy and fewer questions. Like true lovers, they walked hand in hand as Griffin shared with her the news of the unrest in the Holy Land and how his family was making plans to go, or at least some of them. How it was to all play out, he didn’t know. She was concerned, as was to be expected, but how would they continue with their planned wedding in the spring?

“When are they planning on leaving?” she asked with a furrowed brow, which made her beauty all the more lovable.

“On the fortnight, if not sooner,” he responded with a tightness in his throat that threatened to overcome.

“Then, we shan’t be wed?” Moisture began to form around the bottoms of her eyes as tiny rivulets began to run. “What shall we do?”

“Oh yes, yes, we shall, if your father approves. My own having said that he would be willing to preside over the ceremony, standing in for the priest until we should return.” Here he purposely left out the part his father spoke, upon their return being if the Lord allowed. Her countenance immediately brightened as she drew him to her bosom and enveloped his lips in hers, knowing that time was not on their side.

In the days that followed, a whirlwind of activity, both in preparation for the wedding and the departure of the warriors, was all too much for one to conceive in and of itself. No sooner had they said, “I do,” it seemed as if they were mounting their horses for the long journey to the Holy Lands. Griffin and Katelyn had several days to be one, knowing as they did that they may never see one another again; it made their short time as husband and wife all the more remarkably precious.

It was a bitterly cold day, and the first snow of winter had begun to fall.  As Griffin sat astride his mount, waiting for the orders to move out, he watched as the entire entourage of the MacRae clan came out to bid them farewell – wives, children, and their beloved mother. Fiona made it a point to speak with each of the brothers, one by one, as each would dismount and give her a long, heartfelt hug goodbye. She worked her way down the line, saving Griffin for the last. He dismounted to receive his mother’s comforting words and to ease her fears as if the others had not already tried. But to his surprise, she was more at ease than anticipated. “God will surely watch over you, my son,” she said with a voice of assurance. “Take care of your father, and I will be waiting for you when you return, Lord Willing. And remember, I love you.” At the last, she smiled and hugged him warmly. From there, she moved on to Angus, who patiently waited, knowing the importance of being the last.

Griffin climbed back into the saddle as he watched his parents speak in hushed tones from a distance. He had seen them sitting off alone together many times, but at the moment, their actions seemed ever more solemn and deliberate – an endearing picture of true love. Something about it warmed his heart to know that the bond they shared was priceless. In his heart, he hoped that he and Katelyn would someday share the same. Before he could begin to imagine such things, Katelyn rushed to his side, one last kiss, one last tearful goodbye. As she looked up, snowflakes fell on her eyelashes, endearing the angelic face that looked up to him from below. Buoyed by the thought of serving God in striking down the enemy of darkness, Griffin was more composed, but not by much. Trembling with trepidation, Katelyn handed him a small cloth-bound sachet with a leather string attached.

“For you, my love. Wear it and think of me as often as you will.”

“What is it,” he said, bending down to receive the hand-made treasure.

“It’s a locket of love, containing Thyme to make you courageous, no matter where the journey leads, and a strand of my locks to remind you that I will wait for you, as long as it takes.”

He moved the reigns to his other hand and gently, with as much care, received the lasting gift of love from his dearest. Holding the reigns in his teeth, he tied the keepsake securely around his neck with both hands, tucking it into his tunic for safekeeping. He then bent down and kissed her one last time, a long, deep embrace, one that would have to last thousands of miles and what would seem an eternity.  When he pulled away, tears welled in both their eyes – it was almost too much to bear.

As the contingent moved out, Griffin looked back as long as it was feasible before his mother, his beloved, and the rest of the MacRae clan finally disappeared from view – the last embrace, the locket, and her final farewell; images that would have to last him what would seem and might be forever. His heart ached as he had never known, torn between duty and love. The latter gave strength to the former, knowing that this was a voyage for the sake of existence, both physically and spiritually. In the recesses of his heart, he wanted time to stop at that moment, never to advance another measure, but the hoof beats continued, one step in front of the other; as the heart beats for one’s love, there could never be another.

 

(To Be Continued…)

[1] Psalm 90:17 KJV

[2] Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 KJV

Leave a Comment

Filed under Inspirational, Religious Fiction

Dark Bondage (Part III)

Continued from last month’s story…

We find Stephen, a young man who has suffered his whole life with a chronic illness, seemingly lost in the wilderness. Yet, from the moment the vessel where he found comfort was released from the shore, it was as if Stephen was being released from the bondage that had held him captive. The battle with addictions has all but consumed his life, yet now he faces the greatest challenge of his existence: the battle for his mortal soul. In his journey, he is not alone. A force is leading him, guiding him, even though he doesn’t believe in such things.

Stephen has stumbled upon a remote stone cottage shrouded in early morning darkness. Before he arrives, we meet Sozu and his pet wolf, Aphiemi. Together, they form a curious bond. Yet, when Stephen eventually reaches the doorstep of the mysterious dwelling, he’s greeted not by the mountain man within but rather by someone he never expected – his late grandmother Mildred. Stunned beyond reason, Stephen is rocked to his core – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In the process, he experiences an epiphany, a dramatic conversion to Christianity. Yet, when he awakens the next day, something is amiss. Has it all been a dream? Was the change real? He has so many questions, but the one he seeks is not who he thinks – there are just so many questions. Will this be the end of his journey or the beginning of something new?

That is for you to discover, seek, and ye shall find…

* * * *

 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”

– Isaiah 40: 3-8

The next morning, Stephen awoke to the smell of bacon frying. He smiled as he stretched beneath the covers. The usual pain that accompanied most mornings was gone. He felt fresh, renewed. If he didn’t know better, he’d say he was inside someone else’s body, definitely not the one he had come to know in recent years. Then, he remembered the events of the previous day. “Could it be true?” he asked himself.

He eagerly arose, dressed, and started climbing down below to continue the wonderful dream come true. But as he grasped the top of the ladder to begin his descent, his heart froze. Something was wrong. Once more, he was about to find his preconceived notions of the world before him were about to be challenged in ways he could not know.

Seated at the hearth, before a suspended flat cast-iron griddle full of sizzling bacon over the fire, was what looked like a mountain man, attentively attending to the meal cooking before him.  Stephen turned, surveying the area below. The room had changed, and it was no longer the kitchen from his childhood; instead, it was an ancient hunting lodge. Near the fire, a wolf lay on a pallet, raising its head. Stephen, confused, began to withdraw in fear, his presence still undetected by the fierce warrior by the fire. But the wolf began to growl, a hushed warning to the man, who then turned, looking in the direction of the wolf’s gaze. Frightened for his safety, Stephen started withdrawing back to the bed for fear of the beast when the man spoke, “No need to fear Aphiemi, she’s as harmless as a dove,” he said, turning to face Stephen.

The stranger had a weathered face, covered by a long grayish-white beard that matched his full head of hair, which was pulled behind and kept with a leather tie. He wore pants and a shirt of matching buckskins embroidered with curious symbols Stephen didn’t understand.

“Who are you, and where’s my grandma?”

“She had to leave but told me to tell you that she loved being able to see you again and that she’ll see you again someday soon.”

“Where did she go? Did you do something to her?”

“No, of course not; I would never harm her. But where she went, that is a conversation for another time, my friend, but first, let me introduce myself; I am Suzo, your faithful servant of God.”

“Then, I’m assuming you are a friend of my grandmother?”

“Oh, yes, most definitely,” he said with a chuckle, turning back to the griddle and turning over a spatula full of bacon.

“Why should I believe you? You could have killed her and drug her body into the forest. What can you tell me that would make me believe you are her friend?”

Suzo turned, his face now seriously grave, “First of all, I’m a servant of God, and secondly, your grandmother knew you would have questions, so she gave me this.” From amongst the necklace of bearclaws around his neck, he fished out a tiny wooden cross and held it up in his direction. “Here, does this look familiar? You carved this for her when you were just a teenager living with her. It was probably the most loving thing you did for anyone besides yourself in your entire life.”

The stranger’s words cut to the core of his heart, and he knew what he said was true – that it was the only loving thing he had ever done for anyone else. His defensive posture was melted away as Sozu turned back to attend to the meal cooking before him.

“Okay, only she would have known that, and for her to tell you and for her to give you that cross would mean that she knew I would question who you were. So, yes, I’ll believe you for now. But why did she have to leave? And why are you here in her house?”

“Oh, my, you have so many questions,” he said, chuckling, still looking at the pan of frying meat before him. “I tell you what, you come down here so we can get better acquainted, and I’ll fill you in on everything?” At this last, he turned, smiling at Stephen, giving him a wink.

Stephen felt obliged and tentatively made his way down the ladder to the rough-hewn log table. His grandma’s kitchen chairs were replaced with hand-hewn wood chairs made from branches from the nearby forest. The wolf lay her head back down, momentarily suspending Stephen’s fear of his proximity to such a large, threatening wild animal.

After Stephen found a place at the table, he sat, turned to face the man and his wolf companion, and continued, “So, again, why are…”

Before he could finish, Sozu interrupted, “I’m here to serve God by searching for lost sheep, and in so doing, was summonsed to be here for one, such as yourself. Then you, unaware of what was leading you, found your way to this doorstep. Does that ring a bell?”

“Sheep, lost? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Have you not heard of when Jesus told his disciples that it was more important to leave the ninety-nine and to go save the one lost sheep than to remain with the ninety-nine?”

“Uh, maybe,” Stephen said, shrugging his shoulders, knowing full well that he had no idea what the man was saying, “But what does that have to do with me? Did my grandma tell you stuff about me before she left?

“Maybe, and maybe not,” Suzo turned back to the bacon, turning another group of slices over. The pan hissed angrily as the smoke from the griddle was drawn into the flu, along with the smoke from the fire below. The smell was driving Stephen’s stomach mad with hunger.

“So, did she tell you what happened to me yesterday, how I fell apart when I saw her?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that you fell apart; rather, I’d like to look at it as if you were falling together.”

Suzo turned from the fire and stood facing Stephen. He looked larger now that he stood up, indeed a mountain of a man. “My friend, and I hope you don’t mind me calling you that, but what you experienced yesterday was comparable to what the Apostle Paul experienced on the road to Damascus—a radical conversion, if you will.”

“So, she DID tell you about what happened!”

“Perhaps, but just because it happened yesterday doesn’t mean it isn’t still true today.”

“What?”

“Do you feel like you were in a dream yesterday?”

“Sort of…”

“Well, I can guarantee you that the Holy Spirit’s conviction that you experienced was the real thing.”

“How do you know that, and how will I know that? How will I know that it’s still true today as much as it felt yesterday? How will I know that I didn’t just dream it all,” Stephen began pulling his dirty blonde hair back from his face, trying to make sense of it all. His head began to swim,  “This is insane.”

“Salvation isn’t a feeling, Stephen; it’s a change of one’s heart and soul. The former things are passed away, and you become a new person. The things of old, those sinful things in your life that ruled your spirit, will become loathsome, turning your stomach. When you forget and mess up, and yes, that’s going to happen, you will become convicted by the Holy Spirit. Although those things wouldn’t have bothered you in the past, now they will, to the point you will become nauseated having done them, and in the future, you will learn to turn from them. Pleasing God will become the focal point of your life. Slowly, with time, you will become more sanctified, which is a fancy word for becoming more Christ-like.

Yes, sometimes, along with that salvation comes the healing of the body and the spirit. Case in point: When you awoke this morning, wasn’t there something different, …like how you physically felt?”

“Uhhh,…yes, but how did you know that?”

“How I know doesn’t matter. What matters is that because of the inward change, it has already affected your body. Like a light shining within, it has outwardly permeated that darkness from inside you. Most people don’t experience that aspect of their salvation until years later in their walk of faith, if ever. You were blessed in a remarkable way. The cleansing of your spirit has allowed your body to heal immediately. Like the man at the pool of Bethesda, Jesus said to him, ‘Take up your bed and walk,’ and immediately, the man was made whole. At that point, he believed the man before him was the Christ, the Son of God, and that He alone could make him whole. Being whole meant that he wasn’t only physically restored but spiritually as well. In that instance, the man who had been afflicted for thirty-eight years was immediately, inwardly, and outwardly made new.”

Stephen knew in his heart that everything Suzo was saying was true. It all seemed so simple, yet so complicated.

Suzo could see the struggle in Stephen’s eyebrows as he worked through the understanding of all that had transpired in the last few hours. “I tell you what,” Suzo spoke as he carefully removed the bacon from the fire placing it on a plate nearby, “Lets finish breakfast and then go for a walk. We can continue to talk about all this, you can ask any question you want, and maybe by the time were done, you will have less doubts and more confidence.”

Stephen nodded in agreement.

Later that morning, as Suzo and Stephen were walking along a stream that flowed just a few hundred yards from the cabin, Suzo paused. Beside them, the rocks created an eddy, making a pool of still water. “You’ve heard me speak all about the change in you, how you will now have a conviction, how God will not only be your focus but your guiding light, right,” Suzo said as he sat down leaning his walking stick against the rock upon which he sat. Stephen sat next to him, finding the coolness of the rock comforting. The wolf came near, quietly sitting by his side.

“Yes.”

“And you asked about how you know it’s true, and what does it mean, yes?”

“Correct, again.”

“But what if someone could show you what true love, agape love, the love of God was, would it help?”

“Yeah, sure. But what does that have to do with it?”

“Let’s see,” Suzo said, pointing to the water. There, amongst the reflection of white clouds nestled against the backdrop of a cornflower blue sky, a light beneath the surface began to show. Underneath, like thoughts dwelling within the distant portals of his mind, swam a cloud of swirling minnows, a scene began to unfold. Stephen could see his grandmother’s kitchen once again, where he had spent so many memorable moments of his childhood. There, at the bench at the end of the table, his spot, was the little boy. It was the same child he had seen the day before in the cottage. As Stephen watched the story, he watched as, time after time, people came and went in the child’s life, always leaving him behind. He had been essentially abandoned by his parents, leaving his grandparents to raise him. In the vision, Mildred cared for the child as her own, but with an even greater affection knowing that this poor little one had been unwanted, left to fend for himself in a scary, big world. She always tended to his needs, but as he came and went, it became apparent that she was there for more than to address his physical needs; she was there as a beacon of hope, of an unconditional love unlike any he had ever known. As Stephen watched the story play before him, he felt a knot in his stomach grow as he became painfully aware, the little boy was him. It was then that he not only remembered the love of his grandma, but he felt the love wash over him like the combination of a loving quilt, a fresh loaf of bread, or an endearing sunrise – all at once, and yet, even more. It was at that moment that Stephen realized, if only for a moment that he did know the love of God, that it had been there all along, emanating through his grandmother’s love. He had just never realized it.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he sat watching the mirage, knowing in his heart that he was not alone. There was a father in his life, not the one that had left him abandoned, but one that had been with him all along. It was through the love of his grandmother that God spoke to him.

“Now, do you see, my friend?”

Stephen nodded, unable to speak. As he watched the story of his life play out in the depths of the water before him, he felt a nudge against his leg as Aphiemi leaned against his leg. Instinctively, he patted the top of the great animal’s head.

“You see Stephen, God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. This is the true love of God. That he loved us so much, that he would send his only Son to die for our us, so that we may have eternal life.”

“Yes, I get it, I really get it now,” Stephen said now, looking up from the vision in the pool. “But where do I go from here?”

“Ahh, yes, that’s the beauty of it all,” Suzo said, smiling broadly. “From here, seek Him daily in prayer, in study, and in the discernment of where you should go in everything that you do.”

“Can you show me how that all works?”

“Yes, my friend, I was only hoping you would ask.”

From that day forward, Stephen studied under Sozu, becoming more knowledgeable in the Lord, and growing in his faith. Eventually, Stephen would go into the nearby villages with Sozu, seeking the lost, afflicted, and troubled souls of the world. He never again doubted his faith, nor looked back to the desires of the world. He found his new life in Christ and wanted nothing less, forever more.

Thanks be to God.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Inspirational