Waking to an Autumn morning, somewhere between a long summer and a short winter, the heat of August had not released its grip on October. Longing for the hope in a sunrise, I emerged to find a layer of mist hovering thirty feet in the air, just enough to obscure the treetops. It lay in stillness between a clearing sky and a parched landscape, enough to see the moisture, but not close enough to be a life-giving dew.
A kinship grew in my vision as my lower extremities moved in their appointed roles, yet my mind floated in a fog. Somewhere between clarity and reality, there were a million things to do, yet the passion to do none of them.
Jesus whispered, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow Me.” John 10:27
But a restless night had my head spinning and my ears consumed by nothing but noise. Standing at the sink, with a mouthful of toothpaste, I sought the Lord. A scene from “The Chosen” by Dallas Jenkins came to mind. Matthew said, “All I have to do is follow.”
A simplicity of peace covered me like warm water on my face. That’s all I have to do. The million other things fell behind the one, just to follow Him.
But then the world found me, my phone had divulged my hiding place. Whatever was on their desk had to be dealt with immediately as to not impede “their” day. My gut was churning, not as much with anger as disgust in that their task was important enough to invade my quiet moment. Yet, I continued my journey. All I had to do was follow.
One call became two, then three. Adrenaline began to surge through my veins and my heart pounded with the weight of it.
The Lord repeated :
All you have to do is follow.
Father, I listen to Your voice; You know me; I will follow.
Shadows faded into the long-awaited sunshine, its warmth a welcome feeling in an otherwise difficult day. Distractions still pressed in from all sides, yet You, Lord, are a mighty shield.
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy and with my song I will praise Him. Psalm 28:7
I know your voice, and You know me.
All I have to do is follow.
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