My journal entry:
3/11/11
After doc visit, something inside me said "outdoors", so I headed to one of my places, N. Chick. I thought it would make for some good pictures with all the rain we've had. As I drove in, kayakers were preparing their gear. An added bonus to being outside in God's creation! While I await their arrival down the swollen creek, I'm listening to the almost deafening roar of the swift flowing water as it passes over and through the rocks. I love it. It's sunny and slightly breezy. I have paper on which to write, a book to read, the Word of God, and I'm sitting on a rock. Ahh... If only I had stopped to grab lunch. Is it too late to claim that I was going to fast from lunch so at to spend contemplative time with God?! :)
There are so many things on my mind. The biggest (I think) is recognizing that once again I have entered a waiting period. I have faithfully and obediently taken the steps to apply to seminary (and to actually take courses) as well as to apply to the 2 year bilingual academy and to commit to it. Now, I wait. However, my waiting is not passive. I am actively learning, seeking, growing, serving, etc. as I wait. There is a song I've heard a few times on the radio. All I remember at the moment are the words "I will serve you in the waiting." I'll look up the rest of the lyrics later.
Many, many years ago when I taught languages at Bryan College, I did a word study on "wait". I'm sure those results are in a file somewhere in one of my boxes. One thing I learned back them was that the word "wait" was closely related to the word "hope". That made sense to me as the Spanish word esperar can mean both "to wait" and "to hope". Maybe I'll do another study now that I've learned about http://www.blueletterbible.org/ where I can easily check on words and find out all kinds of information. (This resource has been great over the past several years!)
Waiting... It's preparation time, growing time, learning time, trying out my wings in new areas to see if that's where I'm created to fly. I have some idea, but a very dim picture. Maybe I'll be more courageous as my friend in camel land and come up with a description that fits my passions, gifts, and grace and say 'this is what I'm called to do'. And, maybe, there will be a place for me to do it. I believe I will see more clearly as time goes on.
Meanwhile, my soul rests. My soul rests even though the waters around me are flowing and churning. There is peace. Now, where are those kayakers? :)
~Debra
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So, I waited about 2 1/2 hours for those kayakers before I had to head out for a prior commitment as a reading volunteer for some 4th graders. I may go back out today and see if anyone is on the creek in their kayaks. I love watching kayakers. I have some decent pictures from the Ocoee one July 4th, but I digress. My interest in kayaking? I've tried it. I'm still a wanna-be. But, with frozen shoulders and pain, well.... it's going to be a while before I get back in a kayak.
Now, here are some pictures from my outing yesterday at the North Chickamauga segment of the Cumberland Trail.
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| looking upstream |
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| looking downstream |
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| just thought this was cool looking |
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| me looking into sun with upstream view behind me |
Isaiah 55:1 (NIV)-- "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;"
Psalm 130:5 (NIV)--"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope."
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The song that came to mind while I was writing is by John Waller. The title is "While I am Waiting". If you saw the movie Fireproof, then you may be familiar with the song. As I re-listen to the song and read the lyrics, I see why this song "popped" into my head yesterday.
Here are the lyrics and a link to listen to the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM_ZWbtTlE8&feature=related
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