The First Four Days

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge...
Psalm 19:1-2

The past few days have been full of serenity, silence, and lots of beauty. I don't know if I used to take all this for granted, but out here the God seems nearer. The wind rustling tree leaves remind me of his divine breath that sustains us. The crimson stains on purple canvassed clouds at sunset speak of his passionate love for mankind that required the Son to die. The expanse of the sky, which is not so overwhelming in Boston, but which, here, cannot be captured from horizon to horizon in one glance, also say that His ways and thoughts are higher than our ways. His patterns of order and symmetry are traced onto every leaf, blade of grass, and groove of bark.

I haven't taken vacation in a long time, so these past few days have required a readjustment in many ways. When you are constantly surrounded with other people, noises of the city, and tasks to do, you never have to learn to be alone. When all that goes away, you are left with just your own thoughts-- and they become louder. When you finally lay those aside, you're left with just seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, remembering, and meditating. It's in that place that, perhaps, you become more receptive to that still, small voice. I've been learning about solitude as a discipline, through reading Richard Foster's chapter on Solitude in Celebration of Discipline. For me, this has meant taking walks, sitting in silence, carrying a memorized portion of scripture throughout the day, and just taking my time getting from one place to another... Not having a schedule or any appointments, meetings, and commitments to be at is very different. It gives me more time to just be still and know that He is God.


Part of this break involves lots of fishing. Here I am in my full gear. Notice the stylish Tilley Hat given to me for just this occasion by two very good friends from home. While I can't wear this kind of thing in Boston, it's perfect for fishing and gardening (rated SPF 40!) I have not yet caught any fish, except for this gross looking one, below. It doesn't count, since it's not a trout, unfortunately. Tonight, I had two trout on a line, but I did not set the hook properly and they got away, sadly. In any case, more updates to come soon.