Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor's Page
Dear Friends in Christ,
Over the years, Gayleen and I took our children on vacations to a variety of locations. Like some of you, our trips were often packed with places to go and people to see. That’s not bad. In fact, it’s very necessary at times. Since my side of the family is about 800 miles away, we tried to use every minute we could with our loved ones. Then, as now, we’d get to sleep a little and relax by playing cards and such. Or, when we went on a trip to tourist attractions like Mt. Rushmore or the Black Hills, each day was planned out with when to go, where to go, and what to see. As I said, this isn’t bad. But it does make you feel rushed at times.
However, when we took our family vacations in Montana it was very different. We stayed in a nice cabin which was out in the woods near a small creek in the Bitterroot Valley. The majestic mountains surrounded us. Now don’t get the idea that we were “roughing it.” This place was actually a log cabin with indoor plumbing and other modern amenities. It even had a TV, but due to the location there was no reception without a satellite dish service which was turned off. (That was a huge plus in my book!) There was a phone, but nobody knew the number we were at so it didn’t ring much. And at that point in our lives, we didn’t own cellphones yet.
Going up to that cabin, I had the intention of just relaxing, reading, and going on walks in the woods. Well, my hopes were more than fulfilled. In fact, I didn’t realize how badly I needed it! I’d get up in the morning with the sun as our alarm clock, grab a cup of coffee and my Bible, and go sit on the back deck facing the sunrise. I had a wonderful time of communion with the Lord there. It may sound strange, but I could feel my soul give a sigh of relief. Maybe it was the natural beauty that was staring at me, or the peace and solitude in this semi-isolated place. Either way it was it was fantastic.
The rest of our days at the cabin were a blank slate. We had absolutely no schedule to follow except planning a time when we’d all get together for a meal. We’d go for walks whenever we felt like it. We’d sit and read or take a nap when we felt like it. We played board games, went fishing and swimming. It also gave us time to practice our communication skills, which I confess we weren’t always good at. Normally a vacation flies by, but not this one. That week in the mountains felt like a month. It will be a cherished, family memory for a long, long time.
Maybe you’re accustomed to taking vacations like that with your family. If so, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. If not, I’d strongly encourage you to give it a try. Regardless of where you go, find a place where you will have a slow-paced time to refresh yourself both physically and spiritually. But you know, it doesn’t require a trip away from home to experience that kind of refreshment. You can do it without ever leaving home. I ran across a poem a long time ago that reminds me of this. I hope that in sharing it, you too will be encouraged to stop and take mini-vacations in your life. Here’s the poem:
Slow Me Down, Lord
Slow Me Down, Lord
Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.
Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give me, amid the confusion of the day, the calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory.
Help me to know the magical, restoring power of sleep.
Teach me the art of taking minute vacations—of slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to read a few lines from a good book.
Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life’s enduring values that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.
Now I know that sounds pretty simple. Perhaps too simple. But that’s how simple God made it for us. He says to us in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” You can “be still” sitting out in the woods of Montana or in your easy chair at home or while driving in your car. All you need to do is practice the art of putting on the brakes of your racing mind. In yoga and other forms of meditation, you’re taught to totally clear every thought out of your mind. Let me warn you, that can be very dangerous. If you clear your mind of everything, including all thoughts of God, you will leave a blank slate for Satan to write on. If you leave a void, the devil will fill it with all kinds of evil stuff you don’t want. But when God says to “be still” He’s not prescribing a total emptying of your mind. Rather, He’s telling us to clear everything out that might impair His communion with us. All the worries and troubles of this life must be set aside. Better yet, all those worries and troubles can be laid at His feet because God says to us through St. Peter, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
Yes, our heavenly Father wants us to come to Him with anything that’s bothering us. But He also wants us to take time to be refreshed in His presence. We can experience that by “being still” and meditating on God’s many blessings and His love for us. God has revealed Himself to us in His Holy Word. We can meditate on the Scriptures and truly “know that (He is) God.” When we do so, then we’ll experience that calm, “slowing down” which the poem spoke of.
So why not take a mini-vacation right now? Find a quiet place and ask God to clear away the clutter so that you can be refreshed by His life-giving Spirit. Take the time to really let God pour out His peace and calmness upon your soul. Then you’ll be refreshed and rejuvenated for the work ahead He has called you to do. Give it a try. I promise, you’ll benefit greatly from it.
In Christ, Pastor Don Meyer
