Strike Three!

Today I was able to experience the decadent luxury of not being roused from a deep sleep until the late hour of 6:15!  What awoke me from my slumber was not the need of assistance, but the growing awareness of my legs being squished together under the pressure of our 50 pound dog on one side and my wife on the other.  As my mind became more lucid, I heard that old McDonalds jingle playing in mind… do you remember it?  It was the one that went something like “2 all beef patties, special sauce, 3 pickles on a sesame seed bun!”  At that I began to grin as all I could imagine was my legs being those 2 all beef patties being compressed between those sesame seed buns!  The extrication process was tough going as neither the dog or my wife would budge, but I finally made enough progress to exit the bed without falling on the floor! From there I ambled over to close our large bedroom window in order to quiet the soon coming sounds of the world awakening for the days activities. As I turned away it hit me… The silence, and then the single bird chirping away to announce the arrival of the new dawn!

I was instantly drawn away to the memories of the many tent camping adventures where the early morning light would be brightening the tent and the forest was hushed, broken only by the sounds of the bird’s melodious calls echoing through the trees.  After unceremoniously moving the dog a foot or so, I returned to the warmth of the bed and just laid there, totally captivated by the quiet atmosphere.  My mind began to travel as the enjoyment of the silence spoke to me.  My thoughts were centered around how nice it would be if this quiet peace would be present at all times during the hectic hours of the day ahead. 

Later on after I had completed my early morning routine, I found myself sipping my coffee and recalling my earlier experience. At that point I turned in my Bible to Colossians 3:15 where it says to “let the peace of God rule in your hearts”  (King James Version) and I realized that the early morning solitude that I felt is available to us as we tune our minds in to the correct frequency…  The word “rule” as used in this particular verse means to act as an umpire.  With that understanding, this verse could actually say to “let the peace of God act as an umpire in your heart.  (heart meaning the seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, affections etc; – Thayer’s Greek Translations).

Now with that thought, think about the final game of the last World Series.  When the Texas Rangers batter Nelson Cruz came to bat with two down in the bottom of the ninth with the Giants leading 3-1, all eyes in the stadium were fixed on the umpire as Brian Wilson, the Major League's 2010 saves champion with 48 saves, fired each pitch across the plate.  At that point it didn’t matter what anyone else said or did, all eyes and ears were fixed on the man standing behind the Giants catcher, Buster Posey.  A sudden silence filled the stadium in Texas as Brian Wilson delivered the 3-2 pitch, and then Giants fans (including this one…) across the country went wild as the plate umpire shouted “strike three!”

Do you see my point?  That’s the way we could be all the time.  Having the eyes and ears of our minds so focused on God and His peace, that it is the only thing that we hear.  The umpire of His peace gives us the call, we take it and then only hear that solitude that I experienced this morning!  Wow, just think about that!  Is it really attainable?  Well, it wouldn’t be in the Word if it wasn’t so.  Is it easy to do?  To be honest, no!  In our busy, noisy technical world we are trained to listen to a myriad of voices, to analyze the information and then make a decision.  To my way of thinking the Creator of the Universe, probably knows what’s best for the ones He lovingly created.

Now, this may be different to the way you’ve lived your life.  But I encourage you to think about it.  Think about the last time you experienced the peaceful solitude of a forest, or other quiet place.  Wouldn’t you like to have that as a permanent resident in your life?  More on this tomorrow.  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”