Green pastures are before me.....

Spiritual resource to share: newness

Is it just because it is spring in the northern hemisphere that I feel a transition coming? I love that feeling of growth and new possibilities. I have always understood transitions to happen on two levels: (1) the foundation level is changeless and (2) the action level is what moves us into seeing what is changeless more and more clearly.

There is a hymn/poem from that brings this out pretty well. It begins:

In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear; and safe is such confiding, for nothing changes here.

So there is a feeling of being rock solid. Whatever happens, we will not lose this heavenly love, and this heavenly love is the same wherever you are, whatever we do. The poem goes on to say that storms can go ahead without us, because "God is round about [us]..." God is not just taking us by the hand, or guiding our steps. God takes the hands, the feet, the head, in fact, the whole of us - God is round about us! In this loving bubble of God, we move on to see more of what God has in store for us. The poem continues:

Green pastures are before me, which yet I have not seen; Bright skies will soon be o'er me, where darkest clouds have been.

This is progress! This sings to me that old things are dropping away and that we are understanding more and more the goodness of God! The next verses get bright:

My hope I cannot measure, my path in life is free; my Father has my treasure, and He will walk with me.

For all that we have been through, we are still walking with God. This walk takes us out of grief, to understanding the ever-presence of Life; it takes us out of a place where we feel stuck to a place where we are grateful for God's infinite love and possibilities. This walk with God never ends, and takes us to new levels of grace, humility and progress.

Here is the whole poem:

In heavenly Love abiding,
No change my heart shall fear;
And safe is such confiding,
For nothing changes here.
The storm may roar without me,
My heart may low be laid;
But God is round about me,
And can I be dismayed?

Wherever He may guide me,
No want shall turn me back;
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack.
His wisdom ever waketh,
His sight is never dim;
He knows the way He taketh,
And I will walk with Him.

Green pastures are before me,
Which yet I have not seen;
Bright skies will soon be o'er me,
Where darkest clouds have been.
My hope I cannot measure,
My path in life is free;
My Father has my treasure,
And He will walk with me.

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.