An Excerpt from Eden on July 24/14

If only I could bottle this up

and take it home

This Eden-like trance of

serenity and rest

Here

the expectations are few

Here

the pressures of life virtually non-existent

Here

stress rarely surfaces

But back home...

pressures seem to mount with 

phone calls, email and text messages

Expectations

mostly from myself

loom mountainous

and

stress so often has a choke hold

on my living of life

It all feels more so these past months

I think because life has shown itself

uncertain

unstable

which has left me

insecure

threatened

A collage of physical and emotional ill health

in some I love

at times within myself

Crisis shakes normalacy

Planned and unplanned change...

Loss

in the lives of many

Situations which call upon me to confront 

one of my greatest enemies...

fear

All of this

pasted to the walls of my everyday life

and I have found myself

wanting for steadiness...

surety

My Spiritual Director would say that 

God is dismantling my earthly kingdom

one 

stone

at

a

time

I believe this

I'm even at the place where I desire it

Why?

Because I long for a rock solid foundation

a security which stablilizes me

in spite of the constant upheaval in life

The Psalms are filled with countless times where 

God is referred to as a

Rock

Refuge

Fortress

Stronghold

Habitation

our Strength

As He dismantles my earthly kingdom

He leads me to His heavenly one

I will always and only

be safe in Him

I know this

He alone can be my place of refuge

in the storms of life  Psalm 46:1

He alone never changes  Hebrews 13:9

He alone is my stronghold  Psalm 48:3

He alone is my Rock and Fortress  Psalm 31:3

He alone is my Strength  Psalm 18:1

And my only hope

of ever living life with

peace and security

is to follow the Psalmists example--

"I have set the Lord continually before me;

because He is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad,

and my glory rejoices;

my flesh will also dwell securely."

--Psalm 16:8,9