In quietness and rest is Your strength

Then He continued, “What can we say the kingdom of God is like? How shall we put it in a parable? It is like a tiny grain of mustard-seed which, when it is sown, is smaller than any seed that is ever sown. But after it is sown in the earth, it grows up and becomes bigger than any other plant. It shoots out great branches so that birds can come and nest in its shelter.” Mark 4:30-32

I have been doing a bit of rambling around this morning…flipping through goodreads, for instance, through quotes on God’s love. Things like “We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground” from Brennan Manning and from Desmond Tutu, “Like when you sit in front of a fire in winter — you are just there in front of the fire. You don't have to be smart or anything. The fire warms you.” 

And Phil Drysdale’s Four disciplines every Christian can benefit from.

And of course: I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled with the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19, the verse for today’s listening prayer.

How shall we put it in a parable?

When I lay these questions before God I get no answer. But a rather special sort of 'No answer.' It is not the locked door. It is more like a silent, certainly not uncompassionate, gaze. As though He shook His head not in refusal but waiving the question. Like, 'Peace, child; you don't understand. ― C.S. Lewis

Eugenia Price reminds me, “God is willing to walk the earth again incarnate in us.” Somehow I am The Kingdom of God. And may I be a tree, planted by the stream in love, this love that is much too big to be understood by knowledge, and may my roots go down, down deep into the bubbling life-giving waters. And may my branches reach up, up strong, a shelter for many.

And so there were these amazing alamos trees by the Rio Cuchujaqui. We could barely carry on a conversation sitting on the massive roots, dangling our feet in the gurgling splashes. The racket overhead was so loud. Birds from all over gathered, squawking, flapping, pecking…and nesting.  But what a comfortable spot for picnics with our rolled bean burritos and the joy of the children.