So I'm staying in New Mexico in a cottage like home called a "Hogan" which is a native Navajo home. The couple that are providing it to me (thanks to "Donquest") are a couple named Ted & Evie. Ted is a Navajo who taught school for a number of years and now in his post-school days is pastoring a CRC church. Evie is a nurse from Wheaton who graduated from Nursing School in Grand Rapids and they met here in her (& his) first year serving at Rehoboth, a CRC mission.
Ted & Evie took me to a beautiful spot last week called Canyon De Chelley. It is an incredibly intimate canyon experience (unlike the Grand Canyon) in NE Arizona.
We took our time seeing everything - unlike most of the others visiting who merely hurried to each spot, took pictures and raced on to the next overview. Ted laughed as he watched them and shared a favorite dialogue people have after the experience - "What did we see there?" "I don't know, we'll have to wait and look at the pictures when we get home."
Basically, the joke is that we rush the sights, snap some pictures but never really experience the sight or any moments.
At one point, Ted & Evie were just leaning on a wall with their eyes closed. I had been looking around when Ted invited me to join them. He said, I (we) like to pause and experience the wind. He continued - It reminds me of John 3 - "we don't know where the wind comes from or where it is going, but we feel it." Or Elijah when he asked for God to show Himself - "He wasn't in the earthquake or the fire but in the gentle breeze . . ."
They invited me to join them. Frankly, I hadn't even noticed the breeze. We all paused, and in the quietness and the gentleness, we experienced His presence. Several persons came and went observing the sights, but we experienced the Creator of the sights and the One who chooses to draw near - if we pause.
The insights are easy to draw . . . leaving that up to you and HIM.
Ted & Evie took me to a beautiful spot last week called Canyon De Chelley. It is an incredibly intimate canyon experience (unlike the Grand Canyon) in NE Arizona.
We took our time seeing everything - unlike most of the others visiting who merely hurried to each spot, took pictures and raced on to the next overview. Ted laughed as he watched them and shared a favorite dialogue people have after the experience - "What did we see there?" "I don't know, we'll have to wait and look at the pictures when we get home."
Basically, the joke is that we rush the sights, snap some pictures but never really experience the sight or any moments.
At one point, Ted & Evie were just leaning on a wall with their eyes closed. I had been looking around when Ted invited me to join them. He said, I (we) like to pause and experience the wind. He continued - It reminds me of John 3 - "we don't know where the wind comes from or where it is going, but we feel it." Or Elijah when he asked for God to show Himself - "He wasn't in the earthquake or the fire but in the gentle breeze . . ."
They invited me to join them. Frankly, I hadn't even noticed the breeze. We all paused, and in the quietness and the gentleness, we experienced His presence. Several persons came and went observing the sights, but we experienced the Creator of the sights and the One who chooses to draw near - if we pause.
The insights are easy to draw . . . leaving that up to you and HIM.
2 comments:
Honey,
I loved seeing the pictures. And I love the idea of taking in so much more than a snapshot.
Can't wait to join you this week!
Love you . . .
Different scenery then here. Pretty though. Wondered how things were going. Good huh. Michael & Jennifer /kids were in New Mexico last week.Scout trip/camping. Love you
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