Come Away

Recently, I had the opportunity to return to the park that has held so many memories. It's a place I frequented when my children were young. In that place, I often cried as I talked to God about the difficulties I was enduring. In nature, I found peace and sanity. It's where I retreated when my life became overwhelming and difficult. This is where I found the strength to continue pressing on and it's also where I cried as God held me in His arms. God listened to my prayers, my pleas and the desires of my heart. As I walked down the paths that we frequented for so many long years I was reminded of how God sustained and helped me during all those challenging years. He provided me with the strength to keep going. As I walked down the paths, I remembered the times my kids played in streams, caught leaves floating from the trees in the autumn, played in the creek, chased geese and played chase in the bushes. We had so many good memories there. This is where our worries were lightened and we found peace that only God can provide. He sustained me and wiped away my tears so I could breathe again and find hope.

Nature continues to comfort me and draw me closer to God. But lately, in my busy life, I'm not finding the opportunities to spend outside like I used to. I'm realizing that I must carve out time to be in nature again as it washes away my worries and provides me the strength to make it through my stressful week. It reminds me of Maranatha's song Come Away. The part of the song that keeps running through my mind is:

"Come away, come away

Come and spend some time with Me,

Come away

Let your heart and mind be stilled

Let your empty cup be filled

Come and spend some time with Me,

Come away."

God wants us to come away with Him to spend time with Him. When we do we will find rest and peace.