God Rhythm

Sunrise...

...Sunset

Chaos calls to chaos,
      to the tune of whitewater rapids.

   Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
      crash and crush me.

   Then God promises to love me all day,
      sing songs all through the night!

     My life is God's prayer. 

(Psalm 42:6-8, The Message)

Photo: flickr - Swami Stream

Have You Never Been Mellow?

Two dear friends--one comfortable at the wheel of her husband's Suburban and another craning a neck around the leather of my seat--and me, the three of us were flying high as we rode along a beautiful stretch of Central Pennsylvanian highway, I-99 from Bedford, rolling green in early Spring and sprinkled with wildflowers.

We had spent four days soaking Spirit at Voice of the Prophets conference in Camp Hill, and now spilled joy like the hills breaking into bud around us.

Invigorated with the things God had been saying, and amazed by all the ways He was saying them, we decided to listen to Larry's Randolph's CD, Spirit Talk.  My friend in the back began to rummage through our bags to find it.

Sunbeams broke from the open sky above, danced across our laps and bounced from our shades, warming our words--we were deep in conversation.  How do we find more time to spend with Him?

Suddenly a fourth person was in our midst, singing out LOUD!

There was a time when I was in a hurry. I was like you.

Olivia Newton-John, with a voice as smooth and sweet as honey, belted out long-ago lyrics very familiar to me.  (Before American Idol, she was mine.)

We all jumped, startled, and looked at each other through our shades in shock

"Did you turn the radio on?"  My friend asked as she reached down and clicked it off again.

"Not me."  I was mystified. 

"Hmm.  That was strange."  We all agreed, and went back to talking, my friend from the backseat struggling to peel shrink-wrap from Larry's CD.

We jumped again!

Have you never been mellow?  Have you ever tried to find a comfort from inside.

{Static}

...happy just to hear your song.

The radio had turned itself on for the second time, and this time it really got our attention!  What was going on?

"Maybe we should listen.  Maybe...it's God."

We did.  And it was!

The lyrics hit the mark--perfect responses to the questions in our hearts.  Perfect peace and joy.  We laughed and sang along like teenagers.  He laughed too.  We could sense His humor.  And His care.  So much that He came to join us.

A fourth Friend in the Suburban, together spilling joy.

We marveled at his ingenuity: He spoke with a song--one written long ago, but now playing on the radio.  He turned the knob so we could hear, even through the static, His words:

Running around as you do with  your head up in the clouds, I was like you.

Now you're not hard to understand.  You need someone to take your hand.

Have you never been mellow?

We got the message.  Have you?

Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27, NIV)

In Christ we can all be mellow!

mel·low [mel-oh]  (from Dictionary.com Unabridged v 1.1)

–Adjective

1. soft, sweet, and full-flavored from ripeness, as fruit.
2. well-matured, as wines.
3. soft and rich, as sound, tones, color, or light.
4. made gentle and compassionate by age or maturity; softened.
5. friable or loamy, as soil.
6. mildly and pleasantly intoxicated or high.
7. pleasantly agreeable; free from tension, discord, etc.: a mellow neighborhood.
8. affably relaxed; easygoing; genial: a mellow teacher who is very popular with her students.

–Verb

9.  to make or become mellow.

–Noun

10. Slang., a state, atmosphere, or mood of ease and gentle relaxation.

—Verb Phrase

11. Mellow out, Slang.

      a.  to become detached from worry, strife, stress, etc.; relax: After final exams let's go down to the beach and mellow out.

      b.  to make more relaxed, agreeable, workable, etc.; soften or smooth: Chopin really mellows me out when I'm feeling tense.

---

 [Origin: 1400–50; late ME mel(o)we, alter. (perh. by dissimilation, in phrase meruw fruit) of ME meruw, OE meru soft]

Photo Credit:  Stephen Begin - flickr


Have You Ever Been Mellow lyrics by Olivia Newton-John

Feed the Birds

Feed the Birds. 

The song of Mary Poppins has always haunted me in a tender, sweet way. 

It is said to have been Walt Disney's favorite.  He often requested for it to be played at the end of a work day, as a reminder perhaps... 

...to seek first the good of another Kingdom

...to view life from a higher perspective

...to share good news with the poor

...to feed the hungry

...to show the world we love each other, and God cares

...to sing with those having gone before, crowds cheering us on

...to be as Jesus in this world, a light and laughter...seed to...

Feed the Birds
by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul's
The little old bird woman comes.
In her own special way to the people she calls,
"Come, buy my bags full of crumbs.

Come feed the little birds, show them you care
And you'll be glad if you do.
Their young ones are hungry,
Their nests are so bare;
All it takes is tuppence from you."

Feed the birds, tuppence a bag,
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag.
"Feed the birds," that's what she cries,
While overhead, her birds fill the skies.

All around the cathedral the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares.
Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares.

Though her words are simple and few,
Listen, listen, she's calling to you:
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag,
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag."

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they? - The words of Jesus, Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

Photo Courtesy:  flickr - Bob MacInnes