At the end of a busy God worshipping Sunday

Frankly, I'm completely blown away by just how much God loves me.

Shepherd's Stream

I spent the day breathing in the beauty of God's creation as I travelled to and spent time with friends Gill and Peter at their beautiful retreat in the mountains of North East Wales. Winding through the hills in my little orange motor every turn brought another "Wow God" from my lips. If you don't know the back roads of Wales then you are missing so much. However if you all came to visit you'd spoil it so don't all come at once....please!? By the time I arrived at their place I had a grin that was firmly fixed on my face. Gill promptly gave me a tour of their five and a half acres of land which has a stream running through it that was running fairly low but when it rains gushes down the hillside forcefully making the statement that God's presence is here! And there is the tangible presence of God in that place. As we prayed the Lord's Prayer together at midday, sitting on the hillside, I could feel Jesus sitting there with us bringing us before the Father and joining with us in our worship to the one we love.

Later, after eating lunch, we went to one of their log cabins to talk and pray away the afternoon. Father showed us much about being at rest and being attentive to Him. Peter spoke of how a sheepdog watches his master intently waiting for the command to go and only moves when he receives that instruction...likewise we are to wait until we see what the Father is doing and do only what He prompts us to by His Spirit. Gill was intently writing everything that the Lord was saying in her prayer journal...she'll get through a forest of trees before she's done!! As we prayed there was an overriding sense that God wants us to hold what He's given us loosely in our hands and not to possess our ministries but to allow Him to work in and through us for His glory. I say Amen to that. For Gill and Peter, I believe that the Lord will provide all that they need to fulfill the vision that He's given them. They need people to come alongside to help with building and they need the resources with which to do it and we know with certainty that Father has that work planned and paid for so committing it to Him is the easiest thing. How wonderful it is to be able to rest in that knowledge.

I returned home in the dark after enjoying a hearty meal. I drove the roads as they need to be driven, ironing out the bends as the moon reflected the sun and brightened the way ahead. I almost didn't need my headlights...even at night the beauty of God's creation sang His praises.

How utterly blessed I am to know the One who created such a wonderful world...if only we (I) appreciated Him more for all that He's done!