TIME at the Lake

In the early morning hours, as the sun creeps up to lighten the sky, a gossamer mist rises silently from the glass-smooth water. Shake the sleep from your eyes and go - walk quietly, passing beneath tall, stately fir and cedar, brushing past huckleberry and salal still awash with the morning’s dew. Approach it with a reverence befitting the mighty creation it is - when you are near its edge simply sit, listen, and BE. There is a hush, a silence so encompassing that it will envelop you and lay your soul bare.

I need a break from the busyness of life. There is always so much to do and my list seems endless. Mostly, this is my own doing, for I am definitely a doer. Work, family, church, home, garden and social commitments keep me going, going, going... I am fortunate, as I am at a stage in my life when I can (for the most part) decide what I will and will not do. I keep busy because I want to, for I savor life and want to give much and get as much out of it as I can. But I know that to keep building, I need to “sharpen the saw” every so often.

For me, that means stepping out of the daily routine and putting aside the usual load that I carry. I need to connect with friends, old and new. I enjoy spending a quiet morning beside the lake, sipping coffee and visiting with someone. So many things in this life take time. Nowadays, with our go, go, go life-style, it is easy to overlook this, but there simply is no shortcut - you need to take the time to get to know someone better.

I need the presence of children - their carefree laughter and exuberance. Through their eyes, I can again see the world as fresh and new, with daily adventures, challenges, and discoveries. Today’s children are kept so very busy that they, also, need the time and space to relax and unwind. To take each new day as it comes, complete with time to play - to explore the woods, splash in the water, row a boat, dangle a fishing line, share secrets, stories and games. They benefit from spending uninterrupted time with their parents, and with other caring adults as well - away from the TV, computer, video games, cell phone, and pager.

I need to share - to take and give with others in a safe, accepting atmosphere. To help prepare a meal, plan an activity, clean up, discuss a good book, explore my beliefs, listen to a concern, tell my story. These times together are far more important than we may realize, for it is in these precious moments snatched from the stream of the daily deluge of life, that we find our commonality, our community, our support for all that life throws at us.

I need this time spent at the lake - to wander the shady trails among the giant ferns and trees, to ponder this magnificent body of water left from the last ice age. I have come to know and love many of my church family members there. I have been refreshed, strengthened, unburdened, and motivated. I have learned much about others and myself, my strengths and weaknesses - and much about my faith. I have learned that God often speaks to me in a quiet voice, in the stillness of my heart.

Join us at the lake - breathe deep, quiet your mind and body, and listen - the voice will come.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.

Psalm 23:1 - 3