“Think About Eden”

God changes the world, twice, for you each day.

He dims the light

softens the sound

cools the air

and flames heaven with patterned colors,

all to delight your soul, calm your spirit, and give you rest.

As a tender parent, He blankets earth, and you, with soothing peace.

Stop. Still your hands. Let your Maker tell you of His love for you.

Pause in your rush to do. Listen.

He says “Be with Me” as He said to Adam and Eve in Eden.

Honor His love for you.

Pay attention.

Let Him show you how He turns green branches into inky black filigree.

Let Him delight your ear with birdsong and thrumming silence.

Let Him cool your skin with gentle whispers of wind that slide through the sheltering trees.

Breathe deeply. Take in the fragrances floating in cooler air.

Let Him give your body rest.

Simply stop. Open your heart and your eyes to your Maker.

And thank Him.

You will feel His presence.

You will know His love.

In the gloaming. I looked up, tapped my pencil on the slate-board in my lap, and smiled into the sky. Broad bands of carnation pink and dusty blue arched high above from east to west over the play area in the center of Marquis Apartments. From our second-floor balcony, I saw my daughter swinging with the daughter of our next door neighbor. This was my favorite time of day, next to the actual time I picked her up from daycare. We had come home, read two Dr. Seuss books, done homework, had supper and now, in the cool of the evening, in the minutes before the gloaming, I had a few moments to relax and watch her play.

As a believer only months old, I was devouring everything I could about God. Having not seen the light of God’s truth until the age of 29, I had experienced walking in darkness and I desperately wanted to stay close to this wonderful Jesus I had found. Reading a devotional called “God at Eventide” had taught me to stop and practice waiting for God’s presence. And, during that particular eventide, Holy Spirit had given thoughts that formed into words and more words as I wrote.

The poem “Think about Eden” flowed out, in less than ten minutes, with only a few crossed out phrases. Astounded, I stared at the page and reread the words. “Oh! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Lord!” I breathed quietly.

“That is so beautiful, Lord! How did You do that?”

How God touches our mind. Well, dear reader, I am still pondering that question and similar questions thirty-plus years later. How does God put such clear thoughts into our minds? How does He give us ideas to solve problems, to do creative work, and to live our daily lives? How does He make His Word speak to us? How does He bring into conscious thought the precise Biblical principle we need in any given situation?

I may never know, but this I know. . . I will not fully understand this side of heaven just how God communicates with us so clearly but I know His Word is one powerful way.

When loneliness attacks, I hear “And behold I am with you and will keep watch over you with care. I will take notice of you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.” (Genesis 28:15, AMPC) When discouragement seeks to distract me from pressing on in my work for God and in doing all my daily tasks as unto Him, I hear “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord. Be brave and of good courage and let your heart be strong and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.“ (Psalm 27:14, AMPC).

There is a time . . . there is a season. . . As I thought how to wrap up this little devotional (so it would not spin into another little book, which by God’s grace keeps happening lately!), I thought of the verse” God has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiates 3:11, NIV). I thought of that because I had lost the “God Calling” poem over the years, one of the few pieces of writing I have ever lost. I tried to rewrite it several times over the 30-plus years since that tender evening with the Lord, watching my daughter play. But I never could get it “right.”

Well, for two weeks I have been working on a piece called “Finding God’s Presence.” So, today, with my mind soaked in thoughts about His presence, it was time to prayerfully attempt to recreate that long-ago “God Calling” poem. This version is not identical, but it is what my heart says now.

This version, at this time, is what I know of the beauty of simply waiting on God, setting aside time just to be in His presence, taking time to appreciate what He is showing me and letting Him have the pleasure of soothing me when I need it, just as I have had the pleasures of soothing my daughter and my grandsons. And just as their choosing to sit with me greatly pleases me, so I know my choosing to sit with my heavenly Father greatly pleases Him. Truly, everything is beautiful in its time.

Won’t you take time, today, to sit with our Heavenly Father and just let Him love you?