GOD SLOWS ME DOWN

God slows me down

To listen to birds.

To watch them hop and peck

And drill and perch and soar.

To hear them twit and

Chirrup and cheet.

No plan.  Just enjoyment.

God stops my good-deeding

To rest on the porch

And hear the lovely practice notes

Of the girl in the orange shirt

Waiting for her violin lesson;

Sweet tones, unexpected delight,

Mingling with bird songs.

Red-headed woodpecker and

Stout-billed cardinal and

Blue-winged jay bird and

Soft tan mourning dove.

They were outside my closed window

All along.

Why do I strive to seek, to find,

And not to yield,

But He stops me?

My inner pulse beats

. do . not . go . gentle .

But He whispers

   ~~Rest~~

With an inward heart Ulysses

But an outer shell Telemachus,

I have no choice.

He is stronger than I.

Rest til I receive

Or wrestle til I faint.

His purposes are high,

I cannot contain them –

Violins and bird songs.

“All the earth bows down to You,

They sing praise to You,

They sing praise to your Name.”

--Psalm 66:4

-ldm 5/7/17