He Walks with Me and He Talks with Me
"To live a spiritual life, we must first find the courage to enter into the desert of loneliness and to change it by gentle and persistent efforts into the garden of solitude." Henri Nouwen
"All the fairest beauties in the human soul, its greatest victories, and its most splendid achievements are always those which no one else knows anything about, or can only dimly guess at....
Many a quiet, ordinary and hidden life, unknown to the world is a veritable garden in which love's flowers and fruits have come to such perfection that it is a place of delight where the King of Love Himself walks and rejoices with His friends." Hannah Hurnard
"He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing
And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known."
C. Austin Miles
I love how gardens are often used as a metaphor for experiencing God's presence. The movement from loneliness to companionship, from a dire desert to a lush path is a mystery of grace. And especially meaningful when we're feeling unknown and unseen. He wants to give us a melody!
(My friend Ella asks the Lord for a song every morning when she wakes up. Isn't that a great idea?!)
For me, silence has become a doorway to the garden of God's presence. Some days the door seems jammed and immovable. Other days, it's as if a whisper or a feather would open it; and I find myself overwhelmed with the grace of His nearness.
There's no formula or forcing. I simply wait and rest and gently return to His heart when I wander. Something is happening through this practice of silence (though its mystery is thick!).
Would you consider the courage--by gentle and persistent efforts--to till a garden space in your heart?
Would you hush with the birds for the sound of Jesus' sweet voice?
Would you tarry in time for love's flower and fruit to grow?
Our quiet and ordinary lives bloom to the delight of the King of Love. This King plants His presence in our garden hearts and stakes a sign in the soil: "Mine. Mine. Mine."
JUDY
P.S. If you're prone toward foliage and fauna, I listened to this podcast series on trees in the Bible and it was outstanding! And I also loved this article on God's Presence, the New Creation and the Storyline of Scripture.