Kessler Methodist Church ~ Dallas, Texas

I found a listing for this labyrinth online and decided to go visit on our second day in DFW. The day was overcast and a little rain fell occasionally, but nothing too stormy. The road I drove in on wound through a pretty, hilly neighborhood. The Church is on the corner and filled with large oak trees, something we do not see where we live!

As I pulled around to the parking lot, I saw that there was a school and the children were playing outside and laughing. It was quite a difference from the quiet hill on the morning before. The sweet, boisterous, joy-filled sounds of children filled the air! 

As I walked around the sidewalk to the entrance of the labyrinth, it began to rain and everyone ran inside. I also, ran back to the truck and waited. Then, after just a few minutes, it stopped. So, settled under a smaller tree at the edge of the labyrinth, I opened my book. The Scripture for that day was Ephesians 4:30,

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

At the very moment I read that, it began to mist a bit, but I was under the tree and staying dry, so I sat. A moment later there was a clap of thunder and one single drop came flying in (at an odd angle) and landed by my eye and ran slowly down my left cheek......We cried softly for a moment, and the skies cleared.  

One of the purposes of the labyrinth walk is to ask God what we should take with us after our time with Him. Again, another analogy, a visual to confirm our time the day before on the hill…So, this day I left my mourning there with Him in the morning rain and took with me the Peace that passes all understanding.

Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

Jeremiah 31:13

Reminders

As I was reading my devotional this morning, this phrase jumped out to me...

"My heart goes out to all who truly seek after Me, however haltingly they walk. So, keep on learning to pray - by praying. There is a world of wonder waiting to be discovered through prayer."

AND then that reminded me a something I wrote a couple of years ago...our prayers are precious to our Father.

 “…golden bowls full of incense,

which are the prayers of the saints.”

Revelation 5 : 8b

Lift your prayers,

            allow the praises to flow.

Release them from the hold of this world,

            watch as heavenward they go.

Allow your praise & petition

            to permeate the sky.

Let your heart’s love loose,

            to the Lord let praises fly.

With all the assurance of faith

            & joy of His grace,

Know our prayers have a home ~

            a very special place.

These are not the empty words

            of a hollow heart,

But, Love’s words taken flight,

            in worshipful praise.

They go to our King,

            our Saviour & Lord.

There, in His court

            in golden bowls they are stored.

Our prayers are a treasure,

            the incense of praise.

The gentle wafting of words,

            our chorus of voices raised.

This joining of saints in Love,

            made fresh & anew,

Will sing a new song

            in Glory’s heavenly hue.

Not by our word’s strength or our worship

            are the bowls full of an offering,

But by the grace of Jesus,

            we lift our souls to sing.

Holy, Holy, Worthy, Worthy,

will we forever sing.

By mercy, by Love,

we are a holy incense before our King.

 

Clearing Out

It’s underway! A few friends have requested before and after pics, you got it! Stuff is being sorted through, pitched, re-purposed and in general cleared out.

As I sat, during one of my many breaks from the heat, and looked at all the stuff I just had to laugh! It was as if God was giving me a visual of life….”yep, the ‘stuff’ in your life needs to be sorted. Look at the rocks piled up, perfect for use in the labyrinth…I have been setting these aside for years, just for such a time as this. Now, the weeds and empty pots, they need to go, sound familiar?”

I love analogies, pictures that God uses to show me something like empty pots ~ they used to have something in them, but useful or not, they’re empty now and just taking up space. Show me my empty pots, Lord.

And the rocks, our Rock and Redeemer always right here for such a time as this….

St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church ~ Fort Worth, Texas

What a wonderful visit to this jewel on a hill. The drive in is very pretty, in a quiet neighborhood, just off a busy road. I did not notice the slight climb in the road, as I read street signs and then found myself right in front of the church spire. Lovely! I went to the office door (a large iron ring on an old door, just my “thing”!) to see if it was ok to walk the labyrinth, as they were doing some construction on the roof. 

Everyone was soooo gracious! I was given directions to the labyrinth, just outside the door, and to the old chapel. Just made to feel at home by everyone there.

THEN, I rounded the corner outside and stepped through to the labyrinth nestled to the left of the path, beside the church building…oh my. 

The peace was palatable, the view amazing and the workers stopped. Really, they stopped hammering, etc. for the whole time I walked the labyrinth. Was it their awareness of another? I do not know, but God quieted the air.

I really was breathless and sat on the bench to read from my devotional, one my mother had given me last Christmas, and just take in the moment.

“…a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Psalm 51:17

Barefoot, I entered the labyrinth…the first, in-person, labyrinth ever for me. What a blessing, a peace and grace-filled time. There is nothing like the focused moments of prayer and listening with our Lord. Is it unspiritual for me to just say, “wow!”?!? 

It was as if time stopped and I could hear every whisper in the breeze. It has been quite a dark season, as of late. The time spent here God really opened my heart to see it is not His desire that I live in such a way. The weights and brokenness I have lived with were my own “keeping”. He has better things for us, His mercies are not meager. So, that day, in that labyrinth, I gave it all over to Him, I lay the hurt at His feet and released myself to His desires. A favourite Scripture came to mind…

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message

Praying the unforced rhythms of grace will ‘wow’ you, too!