Pondering

If you look closely, you can see a person sitting out on the rocks. It's me from our trip to the San Juan's. I've been doing a lot of similar kind of "pondering" during the sabbatical. I love being quiet out in the midst of nature - listening, paying attention to what's around and seeing what happens. Over the years what I have learned is that if you are quiet for awhile, nature will resume it's activity around you - otters, seals, gators, etc. will start moving around again. These ponderings have sent me to two verses. One is Psalm 8 in which the psalmist ponders creation and wonders that in the midst of the vastness of creation, God pays attention to human beings, yeah even to little ol' me. Sitting on the edge of Puget Sound and the power of the cold waters and their vastness brought the words of the psalmist back to me, especially at night where there was no background illumination to mute the stars. Then especially, I sensed the wonder of the universe, and the greater wonder of God's concern for me. The other verses come from Jeremiah 8 and Ecclesiastes 3, where the prophet looks at nature and notes that the animals know their seasons and their places while the teacher notes that there is a season for everything under the heavens. If anything the sabbatical has been about rediscovering the rhythm of life and paying attention to the rhythms inherit in nature. Once again, the first story of the Bible that introduces the sabbath idea, Genesis 1, speaks of sabbath as a rhythm inherit in nature, that even God can take time off to enjoy God's handiwork. If it is good enough for God, maybe it is a message that we all need in hectic and frantic times. I am grateful for all those who have made this season of sabbath a possibility!