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We have entered the dog days of summer here in Austin. It is hot, hot, hot. I have been going to bed early and waking before dawn to ensure I have enough fresh air. This is new for me. I am simply strolling, enjoying time with the Lord in the great outdoors. Often, I bring my coffee mug to ensure I keep the pace slow so I can enjoy the crepe myrtles that are blooming in their spectacular glory. I read the day’s psalm or proverb from my WYAM Personal Prayer Daily Planner and hold it in my heart as I head out the door.
This morning’s verse was Psalm 5, which includes words to give you refuge.
But I enter Your house by the abundance of Your faithful love; I bow down toward Your holy temple in reverential awe of You. Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my adversaries; make Your way straight before me. Psalm 5 vv 7-8 Holman CSB
On my early morning walks, I am being rewarded with wildlife. A few doors down, I discovered three hawks living in a tree. They swoop down as I walk by, not at me but hunting their prey. Interestingly, almost every morning, I have run into a neighbor as I gaze up at the hawks on the prowl or sit proudly in the scrub oak, and the fellow strollers stop and enjoy it with me.
A Red-Tailed Hawk takes flight
A Red-Tailed Hawk takes flight. The fellow early morning neighborhood walkers have been watching these Red-Tailed Hawks for years, apparently. Walking so early is remarkable because you can hear the birds, and no cars or trucks are on the road yet. The sky often fills with pinks and oranges and can become spectacular if there are clouds. It doesn’t rain much in Austin in the summer, so seeing big fluffy clouds is a gift for the eyes, and to see them in peach and mauve saturating the blue morning sky is simply an additional blessing for the soul. It takes my breath away when I see the Maxfield Parrish sky here.
My strolls remind me to beware of focusing on the problems in front of us, as we often do first thing in the morning. Spending time with the Lord, both reading His Word and meditating on it in His glorious nature, makes sure we don’t miss the big picture, which is worshipping Him and praising Him… in other words, all eyes on Jesus and off of yourself.
Oswald Chambers said it best this morning: “In spiritual issues, it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical everyday issues of our lives. If we have the idea that we have to put on our “spiritual face” before we can come near to God, then we will never come near to Him. We must come as we are”.
Take the early morning walk and enjoy His Presence.
Standing in the powder room, I noticed movement near my feet. I was fortunate to have my readers on and quickly grabbed my Mrs. Meyers dish soap, which is under every sink in our home, and squirted away. The spray did not slow Myrtle down. Side note, we grew up with a neighbor named Myrtle with sleek chocolate hair who plodded her feet hard as she walked. Beautiful woman, but we were all scared of her. She was on task, (the stream of a little soap and water were no challenge to her multiple legs approaching me. I next squirted her with Lysol toilet bowl gel. A lethal combo surely to slow her down. To no avail, her advance on me continued. I held my breath and smacked her with my Natural Grocer magazine. Ahhh, this was like fanning a southern lady in the fall, no affect. I took a deep breath and stepped on her. She was a grand roach, so it hurt to snuff her out, but alas, I was out of options.
Don’t assume ownership and try to fix the venomous words spewing. It’s not ours to own. It’s the Lord’s work to repair.
Trish Southard 