But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31.
Well, I waited to renew my strength for nine days in Quincy, give or take. Waiting upon the Lord is a difficult thing especially since I don't even really know what that means.
So, I just stayed put in Quincy. But getting restless now. Need to cross over the Mississippi which in earlier days was the border between east and west in America. And, although very easy to cross in the 21st century it was not so easy to cross in the 19th century. Then it represented a dangerous boundary separating civilization as the pioneer settlers knew it from the horse culture of native peoples of the plains dedicated to protecting their families and way of life from these foreign invaders. Then there were floods, tornados, fierce lightening storms, grizzlies and mountain lions to guard against.
Today, at least for me, this great river snaking through middle America represents more of a psychological barrier than a physical one. I will be entering the west for the first time on foot and leaving in my wake a comforting network of both old and new friends behind in Illinois.
Looking westward in my mind's eye I see Kansas City and Denver looming up ahead...faint in the distance and shimmering like twinkling stars in the Milky Way.
Even further ahead lies the formidable Rockies with the hot dry deserts of New Mexico and Arizona. It has been a cake walk so far ; and, I will need both body and mind to work together to overcome anticipated and unanticipated obstacles that are sure to throw themselves at me.
So, I will do then as I have even done now. I will wait upon the Lord...whatever that means. Lord, help me to understand!
have you seen some real bald eagles around there? I thought I heard they are there, maybe on the "other side"...hope you can capture one..on your camera!! :) maybe they are nesting in those mighty trees, with limbs stretched high to the heavens and roots running deep down! blessings!
ReplyDeleteI have seen bald eagles soaring in the pale blue skies over Kingston Mines way. Too small to capture on my droid.
ReplyDeleteBruce, I was unplugged for a week; was anxious to reconnect to you blog. The places you see, the people you meet; all very interesting. Bruce, please refresh my memory; you had two kids with Lisa? Secondly, you piqued my interest in reference to a vexing issue back home. Did I understand correctly that someone other than BR Schoenbein knows the Lord's will for BR Schoenbein? They ought to know better than that. It's my belief that the Lord designed this world in a way that each of us get to experience the consequences of our actions, good or bad, subtle or obvious. That's how we learn and draw closer to Him. Far be it from me to claim I know the Lord's will for someone else when I have difficulty hearing His will for myself. You keep doin' what you're doin'.
ReplyDeleteHey Brett: Glad your back! You are spot on about figuring out God's will for others. That's what I have hard time with when I hardly know his will for myself. I have had several people TELL me to either quit this walk because...and I quote...this walk is all in your head and not from God or I have had people tell me to quit writing my column in the Morton Times because I am embarrassing them somehow. My response is and has been that no... God is directing me to do this and no... I will not stop writing my column. I have not had such clear direction ever before! Lisa and i had 3 children Joshua, Andrew and Allyson. I agree wholeheartedly with you about each individual experienceing the consequences of our actions both good and bad. I get to experience them each day...some not so good!! Nice to hear this message of support from you. You don't how much I appreciate it!! It keeps me going!
ReplyDelete