Release of Love Unfeigned

After church today I had about 40 minutes before I had to pick up Kendall to take her to her travel softball practice.  So you guessed it, I left Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren and decided to go to Beaver Creek to meditate in the water.  Since moving to Harrisonburg, I had not been to the river.  So I pulled off along side of the road and parked.  I was in a sundress and sandals but luckily I had my golf shoes in my car.  Yes, I decided to use my golf shoes to walk through the river.

As I was approaching the water, I was wondering if I would encounter my visiting fish or what supernatural sightings would God reveal to me.  As I was walking down the middle of the river, I noticed a lot of "stuff" stirring up in the water that was breaking lose and coming to the surface slowly floating on down the river washing away.

I know my spiritual journey is a process and a continual renewal and refining process of acknowledging and releasing the "stuff" in my life seen and unseen that is an obstacle preventing me from experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  As I wondered about my "stuff" that is being loosened and released floating down the river, I found a perfect rock that was footstool height to sit on.  I let the water run over my legs and it was so refreshing.  I never saw anything mystical but as I was sitting on the rock I noticed two butterflies that were playing in the grassy field beside the water.  I started to hear "Our Father, Our Father, Our Father".  I then began to recite The Lord's Prayer.  I just kept repeating it out load and tears streamed down my face.

At the time I was uncertain what the tears meant.  Now as I am writing this, it was my prayer, my intimate time with God, my known weaknesses, my desperation for Him and my neediness for God.  I realized that each and every day I need His grace, mercy and love to cover me. 

Reciting The Lord's Prayer and the shedding of my tears was a release of love unfeigned.  It is this type of sincere and genuine love that has created a perfect bond and connection to my Heavenly Father.  Colossians 3:14 states that it is love that binds us all together in perfect unity.  It doesn't say that everything is going to be perfect.  In fact Mother Teresa says "true love is love that causes pain, that hurts and yet brings joy.  That is why we must pray to God and ask Him to give us the courage to love."  It takes courage to look at all of our inequities and shortcomings, but even more courage to love ourselves knowing that we are not perfect but a work in progress to become Christ like.

As I was there in silence contemplating my life of what God has given me, my soul just wept with gratitude for the fullness of how I have experienced God's love, gentleness, compassion and grace.  I was basically speechless but my body was releasing humbled emotions that I could not put into words.  Then I remember that Jesus taught His disciples The Lord's Prayer when He would no longer be with them to give them strength, peace and comfort. 

This is exactly what my visit to the river gave me today.  God revealed to me that in all of my circumstances that I can recite The Lord's Prayer when I am overcome with emotion and know not what to pray for.  Just as He gave his disciples strength, peace and comfort, I too experienced that today and was overjoyed and humbled in how He revealed that to me. 

By the way, I did not see my fish...I guess it moved on just as I have done in this next phase of my life.  It is reassuring to know though that no matter where you are at, what you are facing, how you are feeling, The Lord's Prayer is appropriate and honors our Holy, Heavenly Father!