Yesterday morning at 6am I was down walking by the river. Couldn’t sleep – worrying about life’s imponderables – and the dawn air and the golden strip on the distant horizon of the opposite bank seemed the perfect antidote. At low tide (and the river Tejo is still tidal this far from the coast, why, sometimes you can see scraps of seaweed floating around in the murk) there’s a couple of hundred metres of mudflats and there are a few streams that follow their snaky courses out through the mud to the deeper water.This morning there was a lot of movement and rippling in one of those streams, and all of a sudden with a flash of silver an eighteen inch fish leaps clear of the surface and splashes back down again. And then another and another. And the performance continues up and down the length of the stream. I’m wondering what on earth for. Are they catching flies this early in the morning? Are they exuberantly rejoicing and jumping for joy in the dawn light? Or are they coming up for air? Judging by the colour and consistency of the water, (and there will be some fishermen out there who will no doubt contradict me) this latter seems to be the best explanation.
Fish are meant to exist and flourish and breathe underwater, but sometimes the environment they’re in forces them to break the surface to find strength and air to carry on from another environment totally different and alien to their natures. Sometimes life can be murky. Can treat us badly. Sometimes the stresses and strains can strangle the life out of us, so we’re left listless – belly up.
Its then when we need to leap up through the surface into the Grace of God. Into that strange new atmosphere where God is and where Christ feeds our souls. Where we breathe spiritual air so rich it burns our lungs and fills our spirit. And then back down again into the murk. To live, revived restored and invigorated to keep going again. To reflect the glory of God and the aroma of Christ to those around us. It’s called morning devotions. Coming up for air.
1 comment:
Hi..this is your new e-mail acquaintance, Francine. I'm starting to figure out this Blog thing!!
Thank you for your morning thoughts. I have a modest garden at home that I go to every morning to listen to my Bible Studies, (Chuck Smith and other various Calvary pastors). I feel it when I don't set aside this time. Your right! I often feel that I would chock and stagger under the weight of what I hear and see in the world today if it were not for the knowledge that I am just a pilgrim here and will one day be going to my real home. I look forward to reading tomorrows blog....Francine
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