Today I awoke to a cool and refreshing morning that I know will sizzle and steam away as St. Louis-in-July heat and humidity takes hold of the rest of the day. On the back porch I watched the goldfinches visit their feeder and waited for the doe and two fawns to take their daily stroll through the property behind me.
I need this time in the morning, a time to slow and quiet down, a chance to regather my thoughts and point myself in the direction of Creator and creation. I slipped on my headphones and listened to my friend and musical collaborator Phil Cooper’s beautiful solo piano piece aptly called “Prayer Time,” composed back in 2005. I listened again and again, and the images that appeared were ones of flowing water — refreshing, cleansing, new and as ever-present and ever-changing in our lives as the great unchanging changer we call God. These lines came to me:
You are a stream running through me
flowing forth from deep within
seeping in like some ancient spring
hidden in the grass by the corner of the field.
Even in dry seasons you remain
a trickle of nourishment and hope in my dryness
never fully gone, only lost in the tall grass for a spell
still ever present and watching, waiting for my return.
The images and emotions of this running water kept coming, so I spent the rest of the morning creating the video below for Phil’s music. You need and deserve these three minutes.
Grace and peace to you. Grab some silence and solitude for yourself. God will show up.
10 comments On Prayer Time: Waiting for My Return
Very touching. Thank you Steve.I I love your meditations in “Living Faith “. I scroll the publication each month to see how long I have to wait on yours.
Thank you Steve for helping to keep us on tract during these trying times. I love your reflections in “Living Faith” also. May God bless and keep you.
Thanks, Mary Ann, for the kind words…have a safe and healthy holiday weekend (if you’re here in the US…if not, be safe and healthy anyway!)
Thanks, Nancy. Have a great weekend. Many blessings to you and your family.
That’s beautiful Steve. Many thanks. We all need time to step back to listen to the Lord and what better way than with this music, poetry and video of God’s Creation.You and Phil are very talented. May God bless you both
Thank you, Peter. I hope this music and prayer find you happy, healthy, working in your garden and writing!
So serene, so calming, thanks.
I needed this video today. So beautiful, and pure…my meditation today reflects how we need not look far for the glory of God–He is everywhere: comfort of a soft, furry pet, a hug from a child, “I love you” said sincerely, epiphany of wisdom, a crisp cooling breeze, an act of kindness, Forbearance…Thank you, Mr. Givens.
Thank you, Kathleen, for these kind words. I’ll make sure Phil, the composer and performer, sees them, too.
Steve
Thanks, Sheila. Glad you enjoyed.