Find Your Green Pasture

I recently went to a quick mountain trip in Boone, NC. It was supposed to have been a trip for me & my husband but things didn’t go as planned. Instead I brought my boys & some friends. One of the first things I did when we got there was walk down to the river.

A sweet sound it is to hear the water flowing over & around the rocks. I slipped my feet into the ice cold fresh water and savored the moment. I felt God all around me. A tangible feeling. All 5 senses in use.

 

• The sweet sound of the water in the creek & the birds singing.
• The beautiful scenery of the mountains & the water flowing.
• The cold water & rocks underneath my feet.
• The smell of the fresh mountain air.
• The taste of North Carolina’s second most clean creek in the state. [It was SO refreshing!]

Yes, God was all around me.

It was like He was saying “I know things are not how you wanted them to be right now but I am with you still.”

It was such an overwhelming feeling.. those first few moments on the property.

When I got home & looked at all of the wonderful pictures we took, Psalm 23 came to mind.

Everyone has “heard” of this Psalm but not everyone TRULY knows it. You can read words over & over but after a while, it starts to penetrate your heart. The meaning & the depth of those words fill you with purpose, strength & understanding.

I repeated the words and realized…

The river is my green pasture.

My happy place.

The place I can go and rest.

The place I can go and feel restored.

The place where I can “Be still & know that HE is God”.

What a beautiful world He gave us.

 

The purpose in me writing this is to encourage you to find YOUR green pasture. It is not always a green field with horses & a white picket fence.

Sometimes, it’s by the ocean.

Sometimes, it is on your back porch.

The lake.

The park.

A museum.

An old home.

A field of flowers.

Find that place where you instantly connect with God.

Of course, we can connect with God at church but as many have stated through the past few months… church is not a building. It’s the people. The body. God is not confined to the walls of a building. He is omnipresent.

I know I will not be able to go to the mountains every time I need a refresher. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could? But I think it is important to find your happy place or your “green pasture” & REST when it is warranted.

The peace I received while alone at that beautiful creek (even for just a few moments) is enough to carry me through. His presence was that powerful to me.

Thank you Lord for providing me a place to be refreshed. To be restored. Thank you for leading me to the still waters so that I could tune out the noise of the world & set my eyes on YOU. Thank you for loving me unconditionally & for breathing life into my spirit. You are such a loving father. I praise you for who you are & for never changing. I may change. The world will change but YOU never will. I love you & I thank you!

In Jesus name,

Amen.

 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3     he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

    for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk

    through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

    for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

    they comfort me.

 

5 You prepare a table before me

    in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

    my cup overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me

    all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

    forever.