“You let men ride over our heads. We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”(Ps. 66:12)
We have just returned from a few days of deep ‘koinonia’ in the depths of a winter wonderland of lakes and woods…..“Up North”.
One of the highlights was the ‘bonding’ of being ‘partners in sauna’, or was that partners in trauma, as seconds after emerging from the 210 degree log cabin, we plunged through a hole in the ice into Burntside Lake…….then back into the heat of the ‘fire’, then once again into the icy ‘water’ for a double baptism with twin Thomas!!
In the afterglow, we paused to look up into the same ‘pollution free’ sky that Abraham would have wondered at, thousands of years ago. There we too saw the promise of “abundance” demonstrated in the countless stars in the heavens on the far side of some ‘fire and water’ for Abraham too.
This was the perfect place and time for Sharon to produce her book just published, 365 devotionals under the title, “Heaven and Nature Sing.”
As we gathered to pray that God would abundantly bless this inspired anthology, I started up,
“The heavens declare the glory of God
The earth echos back, “His love spreads abroad.
It runs in the streams; streams in the breeze,
Bursts forth from the earth and explodes in the trees.”
And the whole of creation cries with one voice,
“Your Maker loves you; Rejoice! O man. Rejoice!”
Camp Du Nord with the Rupes, and Lynx Lodge where we wrote, “The FREEDOM! song”, brought back wonderful memories…..
On the day you were born I danced over you,
On the day you were born I rejoiced
On the day you were born all heaven proclaimed,
“You’re the child of my love, you’re my choice.”
…….Yet looking forward, we all sensed ourselves on the verge of another ‘Kingdom’ birthing.
“You’ve come this far now step further out
Out of the vale of tears.
You’ve come this far now move farther in,
While all of heaven cheers,
Freedom! Freedom!……”
My mind wandered “Down South”
…….this time to Australia, and to a FREEMAN there……Kathy that is.
Kathy Freeman was the Aboriginal hero of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but not before that major faux pas at the opening ceremony when the lift that was meant to carry her up ‘through fire and the water‘ faltered….. as if our Father was wanting to make a point – such as highlighting the above scripture??
Kathy did indeed go on to experience ‘abundance’ in the glory of the gold.
That was in the days before the shameful events of the last years when ‘men rode over the heads’ of Kathy’s people, herding them into ‘Covid concentration camps.’
My mind wanders to another Aussie experience. This time in the Aboriginal Homelands were we were invited by our friends Peter Greenwood and Dan and Sue Armstrong to serve their Aboriginal family.
Sharing with those of a different race and culture and language, again many hundreds of miles from the polluting glare of ‘citilization’, the stunningly clear night sky again became my ‘black board’ with the constellations providing the ageless illustration of the good news of God’s love….. with the Southern bonus of the Southern Cross!
“The Heaven’s declare the glory of God”, once again providing the musical setting…….the spirit of the song, if not the understood words, urging a response to our Maker’s great love……..Rejoice! O man. Rejoice!
Somehow I have only one or two photos from that trip, but it only takes one……..
This was the canyon we visited one day after the ‘once in a lifetime’ rains had fallen that year, and we had the rare privilege of seeing in the heart of this vast land, ‘the desert bloom’. As we hiked down to the bottom of this canyon, along the normally dry river bed there ran a stream of crystal clear water.
It was as if I was compelled to simply lie down in it and experience Dad’s love washing over me. I can still go there in my spirit and feel the light of the sun shining through the water through my closed eyelids bathing me in life!
“So Father what is the meaning of the JORDAN RIVER that you have had me writing about?” I have been asking.
The answer I seem to have been given is this…..
JORDAN Peterson’ teaches and demonstrates how to die well in life. James and Denise JORDAN teach and demonstrate how to live well in death.
Both of these are embodied in Jesus baptism in the JORDAN river. This is where he ‘legally’ died. it is also where he ‘legally’ was raised again to life, and as the Spirit descended and rested on him, he received the blessing from his Father’s heart,
“This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”
Even as I rose from that river of Dad’s delight, so too I believe will the Aboriginal people, and all those oppressed by the devil throughout the world, arise as from the dead into newness of life,
………and shine as ‘stars’ in their Father’s kingdom.
“……so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” (Phil.2:15)
P.S. We arrived back and were soon reminded of life’s challenges….. a car crash….. an unexpected bill!!
I called the eye surgeon’s business office to appeal the $210. “We would be happy to cancel that charge.” was the welcomed response.
I recalled that it had been 210 degree heat “Up North”.
210 represents Jacob’s trouble.
Seems like another encouraging sign……the trouble is going to be cancelled….as we pass through the fire and the water…..into a place of abundance!
Hallelujah! Thank you Father!