Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Psalm 100: 1

Practicing the Presence

Spring has finally arrived in Indiana! After snow in April (twice!), the pear trees are finally a froth of white blossoms, the willow trees are leafing out, and maple buds are swelled and ready to burst into hand-shaped leaves. The front yard is again carpeted with wild violets—purple, lavender, white, and striated. Down by the creek one might find a rare yellow pioneer violet as I did last year, or maybe see a crawdad's mound-like home.  Everywhere bees are busy over the yellow faces of dandelions. Faces? Yes. I feel the liberty to personify, to give those dandelions faces, because personification of the natural world is found throughout the Bible. Following are a few examples:

 After "Joshua made a covenant" he ". . . took a huge stone and rolled it beneath the terebinth tree beside the Tabernacle of the Lord. Joshua said to all the people, "This stone has heard everything the Lord said to us. It will be a witness to testify against you if you go back on your word to God" (Joshua 24).

 "You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!" (Isaiah 55:12).

 "Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy" (Psalm 96:12)

 "Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord. For the Lord is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice and the nations with fairness" (Psalm 98: 8 & 9).

 "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?" (Matthew 6: 28-30).

 "As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

  "Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
    Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!"

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, "Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!"

He replied, "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!" (Luke 19: 36-40).

 In fact, the Bible tells us that it was God's plan all along that people, through observing the natural world, could clearly see His invisible qualities.

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God (Romans 1: 19-20)

 Accordingly, it comes as no surprise that in 1666, when a man known only to us now as Brother Lawrence was a teenager, he became a follower of Christ when, "on a midwinter day [he saw] a dry and leafless tree standing gaunt against the snow" (The Practice of the Presence of God 12). The sight "stirred deep thoughts within him of the change the coming spring would bring. From that moment on he grew and waxed strong in the knowledge and love and favor of God, endeavoring constantly, as he put it, 'to walk as in His presence'" (12). What a wonderful, peaceful, intentional way to live!

 I'm headed outside now on this warm, sunny spring day to attempt to do the same, to practice seeing myself as walking in the presence of the Most High. First, I'll walk on that carpet of wild violets and then maybe I'll wander down to the creek in search of a yellow violet. Perhaps I'll plant red onions in the garden, too.

 How will you be intentional about practicing the presence of God today? Maybe it will be while you're standing at the sink washing dishes or while you're driving to work, or while you're out in the garage tinkering with that mower you need now that the grass has finally started growing again. Whatever or wherever, I pray we sense His presence as clearly as we see the earth and sky, the rocks and birds and flowers and trees, as clearly as spring after a long, cold winter.

Daye Phillippo

May 2018