Not too far from my house there is a patch of woods that runs along a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. It’s in a place that is quite special to me. To get there you have to enter a cemetery. I grew up not far from this cemetery, so going there is like revisiting my childhood. My siblings and I used to ride our bikes through it as kids. Once in a while, intrigued by the antiquity of them, we would stop to look at the graves.
Once inside the cemetery, the entry point to the patch of woods we like to explore is right behind the statue of Jesus held by his mother. I think of her mother fears as I too join her in letting my children go. We head toward the very edge of the bluff overlooking the train tracks and Missouri river. Sometimes I fear their safety in moments like this, but we head on toward beauty and adventure.
My kids walk past old trees that stood even when I was their age. Trees that have stood the test of time, peeking through and over each other, watching all those buried and weeping. Rooted well I guess.
That is how I want to be. Rooted well.
Still able to stand as I watch death come and go. Able to stand in Christ and for Christ in the good times as well as the bad. Able to say no to the world, yes to Christ. Willing to look like a crazy Jesus freak, when I want to look so normal and acceptable. I want to be rooted in His love, solidly living out trust in His love and acceptance of me.
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” -Colossians 2:6-7
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” -Ephesians 3:14-19
We come upon a cluster of trees still rooted but beaten and bending over the bluff toward the river. Roots still clinging to the ground for life and trunks still bending toward the living water but oh so weathered and beaten. That’s how I want to be.
There are, of course, other trees that didn’t stay rooted. We climb those and sit on them. Amazed at how they can still exist in this world after so many years of being uprooted. We throw rocks over the bluff, visit our secret garden and come out at a friend’s house. We marvel at nature with him and then head back toward our car…through the cememtery.
A woman we know is visiting her deceased husband’s grave. We talk about the hardness of death. She trembles. We fumble for words. We try to struggle with this death talk right smack in the middle of the most beautiful day on earth. I was somewhat relieved when we left and headed toward the car, released from helping someone carry the burden of death. But I couldn’t get in the car. I felt a gentle but firm nudge…a feeling that I just couldn’t get back in the car without going back to pray for that woman. Why didn’t we do it before? And was I crazy to feel this urge?
Ugh.
My deepest desire was to do it. But my flesh…it didn’t want to. I’d look so funny running back to her down that long driveway through the cemetery. What would she be thinking as she sees me on that long jaunt back toward her, all the while probably wanting privacy as she grieves. I stood for several minutes contemplating. My family looking at me strangely, begging me to get in. But no…I couldn’t. I couldn’t get in until I did this thing that was most unexpected. It felt as if my getting back in the car would be the tone I was setting for the rest of my walk with Christ. Really?
This little thing…sensing a heavy burden to pray. That may just be my own thought….or maybe not. This…this is really going to make or break my walk?
I don’t believe if I would’ve walked away the Lord would’ve been angry with me or abandoned me. But I do believe there comes a time when we need to follow what we feel God is calling us to. For the sake of the Lord and all He’s done for us. For our own sakes too. To live a life congruent with what we say we believe. To put Him above our worldly concerns. And the thought of getting in the car just didn’t seem possible. As much as I couldn’t imagine really walking back there to pray for that woman, I couldn’t imagine not doing it.
That there, my friends, is the pattern I normally see when I think the Lord wants me to do something. As much as I can’t imagine doing what I believe He wants, I can’t imagine not doing it. It is when the flesh and the spirit collide and I feel the spiritual world and the physical world at odds. That is usually when I know.
So I said, “I’ll be right back…I have to go back and do something.”
Without taking time to explain, I left my family and walked back…briskly. As awkward as it was, I told her that I felt a burden that, perhaps, the Lord wanted me to come back to pray. She was thankful and accepted the invitation toward awkwardness with a smile and tears.
I must admit, I move in my heart away from death. I want nothing to do with it. As a Christian, I’m not afraid of what will happen after death. But I don’t want to leave my family. I want to keep living out my days here. But this…this rare experience reminded me of the death I do want.
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” – Paul, Galations 6:13
My ESV study bible says this:
“Paul is saying that the entire world system in all its glory, but in opposition to God, is dead or destroyed in its power to attract him; it has no influence or power over Paul, no appeal to him. Paul is similarly dead to the desires and attractions of the world, for he serves Christ as his new master.”
May this world hold no sway over me. When it doesn’t have sway over me, Holy Spirit stuff happens. This is the kind of death I long for. Death to the world and any caring about what others think that would hinder me from following Christ or from anything He calls me to as I follow Him.
As His Spirit holds more and more sway over us, may we, then, hold more sway in the world.
Linking up this week with the following inspiring and encouraging blogs. I highly recommend visiting any and all of them!
I love that you obeyed God’s promptings. I wish I could say I always do so.
Hi Elizabeth…you really should go to bed…and so should I! I wish I could say that I always follow too but…(sigh)…I don’t think I do. This time was special and different. Perhaps it will always remain in my memory so that I will follow more in the future!
Amy, thanks for your thoughts and your heart and sharing it all with us! I am challenged and encouraged when I read your blog! Keep putting it out there! I find myself passing it along or reading aloud to the fam as well. Love love
Thanks sweetie…as always…I so appreciate your encouragement!
Hi Amy, thank God you obeyed. I hope to listen and obey God’s leading too.
Remain Blessed
Ifeoma-thank you–for visiting and sharing your thoughts. God bless you as you follow His lead!
How wonderful and God-honoring that you obeyed the prompting of His Spirit to comfort another — especially since it was outside your comfort zone. Ran into your blog at Sunday Stillness, but also a new follower!
Hi Michele….I am so glad you visited, blessed with your comment and thankful that you followed! Thank you!!!!
you put it all into your blog post I totally love reading you keep me holding on to see what you will share next. Come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
Hi Angie–thank you for visiting and your encouraging comment. I WILL visit you…
Beautiful thoughts on death. I realize that this is a subject that I avoid much like you said because I don’t want to leave my family. I love your simple gesture of praying for the woman in the cemetery. I imagine she was blessed by that simple action. Hope you week is blessed!
Hi Mary–thank you for stopping by and encouraging! May we all move toward dying to this world and opening ourselves up to going heavenward. I’m not sure how to do this but…perhaps we are to just keep taking little steps in that direction more and more. Have a great week!
So glad you shared this at The Weekend Brew. Blessings!
Oh how I want to feel this too, Amy: “Willing to look like a crazy Jesus freak, when I want to look so normal and acceptable.” I struggle with this daily. I’m also horrified when I think of dying only because of the thought of leaving my family who I love so very much. I can really relate to you here. I think you did a wonderful thing returning to that woman and listening to God’s instruction. I’m sure you were both blessed by your reaching out. On a side note, what a beautiful place you took your children walking! I don’t get outside with my family near enough.
Candace-I think blogging helps us to take steps toward living a Jesus Freak lifestyle…don’t you think? We share things on our blogs for the whole world to see/read…that we wouldn’t normally. Perhaps that is why a bit of fear when we hit “publish”. We ARE Jesus Freaks!!! 🙂 In a way, the bearing of our souls is a bit like death. Dying to the world and moving toward not caring what anyone thinks…just the audience of One. Keep sharing! I highly recommend getting out into a beautiful place with your family—at least once a week! A bit easy for us since we homeschool…
Beautiful writing and photography … I was right there with you every step of the way, even the push-pull of going back to pray … Precious memories ❤️
Thank you, Beth! Thank you for visiting and putting yourself in my shoes!
Obedience to God’s promptings not only bless the one to whom you went and prayed with, but for yourself as well.
Your words have blessed me too.
Caring through Christ, ~ linda
Linda-isn’t that so true? We are blessed as we obey. When we follow the Lord, we are living the abundant Christian life. Thanks for caring…
It’s funny, our feet have such a difficult time turning to follow those nudges but once done, it is usually a much smoother path than we imagined because His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Thanks for sharing. It is always encouraging to remember the blessings He brings when we obey the whispers.
Linking up with you today through purposefulfaith.com.
Hi Angela-you’re so right-life is easier when we follow that path that appears rough. That path is the abundant life with Christ and it is so much better than life lived from the flesh. God bless you as you walk the the smooth path where the burden is light. Thanks for visiting!
This spoke to my heart as I am grieving the death of my mother. What a beautiful act and gift you gave that woman. It’s a comfort knowing we have a hope beyond the grave.
Oh–thanks for saying that. I hadn’t even really imagined what that would be like for someone to come up and pray for me if I were grieving. I think that would be amazing and makes me so glad I went back and did pray. I’m so sorry you have to go through a season of grieving your mother’s passing. I suppose that will be something that never really passes. I pray that the Lord will always comfort you as you walk this path of life without your mom. God bless…
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story of obedience. Oh that I might be so sensitive.
Thank you for visiting! I pray that I will be this sensitive too. It is really not a common thing for me to be so sensitive and obedient!
I hopped over from Suzie’s #livefree linkup. I too want to be rooted well and follow those promptings. Thank you for encouraging me today!
Kasey-thank you for visiting from Suzie’s. I want this too…always…not just once in a great while! May it be so!
Hi. Beautiful place you took us: by the bluffs, Missouri River and the heart of God. You obeyed and the body of God was enriched. I wrote a piece called “The Rope.” It is an encouraging word picture on death. We are holding on to the rope of our Blessed hope in the land of hopelessness. Chris Malkemes at http://www.chrismalkemes.com
Oh wow–I like the idea of holding on to the rope of our blessed hope in the land of hopelessness. We ARE in such a land aren’t we? I always appreciate your visits…you’re an encourager! Will read your post over the weekend and looking forward to it!
This is absolutely beautiful. I truly appreciate how you drew this all together with Scripture and where we are to be rooted. I can relate to the pull of the world and the fact that those Holy Spirit promptings can be so awkward, and I second-guess them when I shouldn’t. Thanks for the opportunity to journey through your heart. So faith-building! Popping by from Christian Mommy Blogger.
Thank you — I appreciate your thoughts and encouragement. May we move toward not second-guessing the promptings of the Holy Spirit…even when awkward!
Amy, thanks for the encouragement today to be rooted well and to #livefree. have a great day! Kim Stewart
http://www.kimstewartinspired.com
Hi Kim–Thanks for visiting!
Obedience is so hard – but always worth it! I know that woman was blessed and I’ll bet you were too! Thank you for sharing this, Amy, it touched my heart.
Thanks for the encouragement…I was blessed! Thanks for visting!
This is such a preciously woven together post. I have had those moments when the Holy Spirit is undeniably prompting me. Sometimes I just do what He’s asking me to do and sometimes I way how this might make me look. But I am sure this woman was deeply touched by your obedience and your family as well.
Thank you Jen! May we think less about us and more about following Him as we grow in Christ!
What a touch from the Lord for the lady visiting the grave site. Obedience is all He wants from us, it’s the best kind of worship we can give our Lord. Lovely post.
Thank you for your encouragement and visit. As I read comments I realize–yes–this was a touch from the Lord for both of us!
Beautiful post, Amy, and one that many of us can relate to in one way or another. I was rooting for you to go back to the woman. So thankful you did. Certainly it’ll leave a good memory for that sweet lady, a good memory in a sea of grief. Visiting you from #TellHisStory
A good memory in a sea of grief. That is just how I imagine losing a loved one would feel. Thanks for your encouragement and for visiting!
Beautiful, heartfelt words and images, Amy. And I think that as we obey like a good child — why is it we can think so much instead of just do??!! — it blesses our Father’s heart and makes us stronger and more like Him. Well done, my friend!
Sheila–I don’t know why we can think of so much instead of just doing it but…hopefully we will grow more and more to think less and go! Thanks for visiting and for encouraging!
So beautiful and touching. I loved how you listened to the Holy Spirit. What a divine appointment He set for you. I really enjoyed reading this. God Bless. 🙂
Thanks Mary! Yes–it truly felt like a divine appointment! One I couldn’t miss!
Thank you for this post and it’s insight. I’m glad you heeded the restlessness in your soul to go back and pray for this woman. Thanks also for linking up with us at Grace & Truth!
What a great way to describe it–a restlessness in my soul. I pray that I’ll always sense the restlessness that the Holy Spirit stirs in my heart. Thanks for visiting and encouraging!
Hi, your great post is being featured this week on the Weekend Wind-Down Paryt!
Thank you Mary! What an honor and encouragement! You made my night!