Following the yellow arrows of His Presence.

Let my mouth be full of Your praise and Your glory all the day long. Psalm 71:8

“Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight.” And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.” Exodus 33: 14-15

Grant, O Lord, that the course of this world may be peaceably governed by Your providence; and that Your Church may joyfully serve you in confidence and serenity; through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

I woke up with the fret list spinning full bore.

School’s out.  School’s out for summer.

And my life is full of curves in the road that I cannot see beyond at all. Not even pretend.

But I can pedal for the next five minutes.

• Call the travel insurance company and straighten out the coverage dates.
• Download the GPS for the easy Camino del Norte by bicycle. Others have gone before me.
• Empty the dishwasher.
• Put away the outside cushions from last night’s ribs, bread and coffee and pecan pie under the stars.
• Take Jincheng to the airport. Two and a half years like that. He was wearing the Arizona Diamondbqcks hat that Wali gave him.
• Put his sheets and towels and dirty socks in the washer.

But most of all, His word is a light unto my path. Let me choose Your praise and Your glory all day long.

And this prayer is in my heart: May I joyfully serve You in confidence and serenity.

And there is nothing about the world being announced by early morning NPR that seems peaceably governed by His providence.

But the thing about google.maps is perspective. And as I finger in closer and closer it is easy to see the bumps and roundabouts and one way only signs…but tapping backwards into the big view, the vista turns green and calm and governed.

All things considered. That’s what the announcer said.

All things. Not just what I can see with my very small vision.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Let my mouth be full of Your praise and Your glory all the day long.

One arrow at a time.