The Day of the Visit—July 24, 2009
As I sit here writing this page, the sound of the birds echo around me as I sit by the open door. The sound complements the gentle July breeze that I feel against my skin as the sounds of the surrounding forest engulfs me.
Simon, my ever-present four legged companion for the day has just leapt to his feet. As I follow his gaze out the open door, I find that a family of deer that have entered the clearing outside the small cabin where I am staying. They freeze, standing rock steady, aware of our watching them. The sun glints off their buckskin hide as the two largest ones scrutinize us as the younger one bends it head down to feed on the lush grass in the meadow.
For a moment, all the troubles and adventure of the city of Portland are behind me. Time comes to a standstill and we all are frozen in the moment… I see the deer intently watching Simon and I—as if working out in their mind who and what we are. The grace displayed by these creatures is stunning. I hush Simon and quietly tell him not to move—he looks back as if with a profound understanding—as if he realizes the holiness of this brief moment in time that God has given us. I begin searching for camera to record this moment of the three deer who have wandered in our domain. I find it and succeed in retrieving the camera, only to look up and find that the beauty of the moment has passed and an empty clearing is all that is left. I go outside the door and look around. There is no trace of our four legged friends that chose to bless us with their presence. As I walk back in, Simon and I share a moment of rejoicing in the blessing that God has given us.
As I return to writing this, it dawned upon me that this very event was indeed a lesson from the classroom of God. Life occurs that way for us sometimes. We can get so busy thatwe fail to enjoy the blessings that God has placed on our path. Or we can get so emotionally or mentally bound up that we miss His glory that surrounds us everyday. Now I know what you are thinking, “Mark, it is easy to see the blessing when you are surrounded by the beauty of nature.” But the reality is (and what the deer taught Simon and I) is that God surrounds us with blessings on a moment by moment basis. They appear out of nowhere and when we least expect it. And the blessing can be so breath taking that we can’t believe it—it can seem like a dream sent from the very heart of God to our hearts. We only have to slow down to experience it.
I also realized that just like I was, all of us can be caught off guard with the blessings of God (dream). When the deer came, I was totally caught off guard and had to hunt for the camera case. Then I had to get the camera out and once I was finally prepared I turned to find that the blessing had vanished in thin air. It can seem the same way with the dreams God gives us. We have to be ready to see and experience the blessings of the dreams that God has put in our lives.
It doesn’t matter if you are in downtown Portland or in the majestic wild of southern Oregon. It is a matter of attitude. Adopting an attitude of praise—choosing to live in the moment—choosing to ignore all the impossible circumstances in your life and to find the courage to dream a little—to make the choice to believe the impossible.
I also walked away with the reality that that dream, just like the deer can disappear with out a trace. These gifts from god must be nurtured like a garden in the summer. The dream must be protected in order to be enjoyed and experienced or it will disappear. It can be almost like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands.
As I sit back and return to writing, I realize that the dream has to be shared for it to truly be enjoyed. God doesn’t just bless just one, but rather the dream is to reach the community as a whole. Both my faithful companion and I were blessed by this moment we both shared. As I write this we both look back out, hoping to catch a glimpse of the family of deer, if only for a moment. As our lives return to the tasks we have, and we once again hear the birdsongs and the distance sounds of traffic on the road outside the property, we pause again to realize that even though this dream may have passed, another dream, prepared in the very throne room of God, by the Creator himself, is waiting for us. Even though we may miss it, God always has a plan for us to have the best he has to offer—again and again.
Some truths about the dream:
1. It comes when you least expect it
2. It is breath taking
3. We must be silent to truly experience it. We have to be ready to see it.
4. It is fragile (fleeting) and precious and must be protected
5. God has more blessings for us.
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