Peace in the Valley

Yesterday I paused....

It was not like hitting the "pause" button on the CD player, or temporarily stopping the treadmill, only to get back on and resuming my run. This was different. What happened after the "pause" contrasted greatly with what had occurred before.

Let me back up and start from the beginning.

I wanted to get off work by 4:00, but one thing ran into the next, and it was nearly five o'clock before I locked my office door and headed to the car. For some reason, even though the week was essentially one day shorter because of Memorial Day, it seemed that the week had gone on forever. I had things that I wanted to do before the sun set, and I was already an hour behind.

The drive home was uneventful, even if it was a little on the high side of the speed limit most of the time. I felt anxious as I waited for supper, working on a few things that I could do without worrying about being interrupted. Perhaps I didn't help as much with cleaning up afterwards as I rushed to get to my "tasks." I hoped that my wife would understand....

While I was working on my computer I noticed through the window in the kitchen that it was getting darker and darker outside. I checked the clock - in fact, I checked several to make sure that it wasn't sundown already. I confirmed that it was over an hour away, then went back to my work on the laptop.

But the Internet gods were not cooperative. I tried several times - even shutting off the computer and rebooting it, but to no avail. I had lost all connectivity.

While I don't believe that I am cursed with a bad temper any more, I was bordering on being perturbed. That is, until I heard the wind blow.

There is just something about the power of the wind that puts me in a state of awe. I love to watch the trees sway and listen to the roar of a good wind. So I sat back in my easy chair and just listened. It didn't last long, for it was soon replaced by the sound of the rain pouring down.

This wasn't an ordinary rain. This was a serious rain! I made my wife stop what she was doing and we turned out all of the lights in the house. There we sat on the couch, looking out the front window as the rain poured down. It wasn't long before the rain was joined with lightning and thunder, and soon we were enjoying a surround sound experience that rivaled anything that Hollywood could produce.

We sat there, not talking much, just listening and watching as nature put on a show. As the rain subsided a faint light started to glow in the west. It began as a light golden hue that subtly grew in brightness, slowly expanding under the dark clouds. The colors changed into oranges and pinks and purples, with one spot of a perfectly blue, cloudless sky opening to show that above the darkness there still was a day that was slowly slipping away.

I sat and took in every bit of the beauty, the power, and the experience that I could. All of the rush that I had felt before had melted away. Those deadlines I had set for myself were now unimportant and forgotten. There would be time to deal with those things later. Right now I had an appointment with my God as I welcomed in His sanctified day for me.

And on this day I have experienced a peace in our little valley that I believe God had planned for me all along. He who said "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" also promised me a peace that passes all understanding. And that is what I experienced last night, and renewed it as I worshiped Him today.

I pray that you experienced that in your life as well.

God bless you abundantly!