"Sit On The Porch And Rest A Spell"

“Take a load off! Put your feet up! ” There are times in our lives when we need to sit a spell. A while ago, I sat on the porch of a friend, put my cowboy boots up on the railing and sat in silence. I looked out into the beauty of the outdoors and I felt the peace of God comfort me. The others around me were laughing and talking but it was all peripheral to me. I was somewhere else locked in comforting conversations with the Creator. Nature has a way of calling out the greatness of God in our spirit and mind.

“How Great Thou Art” is one man’s attempt to put words and music to that which flows out of the visions of splendor that surrounds us as we look at the world around us. It is interesting that this hymn is one of the most familiar, favorite and beloved of songs of the Christian faith. It has been ranked second only to the classic Amazing Grace. It was written by in 1885 as a Swedish poem set to folk music. Think about the writer in that amazing country of mountains and forests; overcome with heavenly beauty of it all. As a writer, I imagine him scrambling for some paper as the thoughts tumbled out from the visual stimulation of the scenery around him.

There is something hard wired into the human spirit that not only cries out for rest but for restoration. We were created to live in a genuine garden, a paradise of nature, a place where even the Creator came to walk with his creation. Every time I bike ride or walk with my daughter, I inevitably comment on the beauty of the outdoors. She always, without fail, quotes Anne Frank; “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.”

Part of my every day de-stressing routine is to step outside and stare at the trees, flowers, grass, even if I only have a few moments. Hiking, biking, and running outside also have a way of dissolving away my distresses of the day. Anytime spent outdoors, even in a lawn chair seems to soothes my spirit. Although lately, just as I sit on the porch to rest a spell, I find myself scrambling for some paper.

How Great Thou Art

(Watch it on YouTube with Alan Jackson and let it wash over you) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcF75h4BHk8