I’m in Corbett, Oregon at a men’s retreat this weekend as we talk through living in Father’s affection rather than living by religion’s obligations. I’ve got some wonderful guys here who are sorting that out in a very real way. I also had the chance to meet some lovely people near Salem before the weekend got started who are looking outside the box for relevant ways to connect with God’s people.
Today I read a link someone sent to a website of a good friend of mine. Lynette Woods, formerly of New Zealand and now of Washington, DC (where I’ll be in a week and a half) has a lovely article on her website, unveiling.org that contrasts life in an ocean tide pool with swimming in the ocean. Our little boxes of religion are like the tidepools, that appear safe for the moment, but actually keep us from growth that takes us to the fullness of his love. You can read the entire article here.
I really liked her conclusion:
In the past I have prayed for revival, yet it seems to me that I often missed the point.Often I have prayed for the Lord to refresh and feed me while the oceans of His love have remained waiting for me just beyond the rocks. Because of fear and unbelief it is easy to become afraid to leave the familiar surroundings I have grown comfortable in. I am forced to wait for storms or the occasional extra high tide to refill my pool.
Yet His purpose for the extra high tide and storm is not to refill my little pool but to get me to move into the limitless depths of the oceans of His Love. I cannot really grow in the pool. There are NO large fish found in rock pools. Yet out in the fearful depths I am out of my depth and cannot see the bottom. There are unseen dangers that in my fear I think will harm me In His Love there really are limitless depths and I will lose many things, but in gaining Him, I find that the “dangers” were imaginary.
I think that the ‘”revivals” down through the centuries have been “high” tides. They are not supposed to fill the pool we live in but draw us OUT of the pools into His ocean of Love, into Him!
This reminds me of a favorite old hymn:
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
This reminds me of a favorite old hymn:
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
I recognized the photo on your blog today Wayne; I took it at Makara beach, the beach we took you to in NZ! But alas, that is not why I’m writing a comment on your blog 😉
Just wanted to let you know that the article was not written by me, it was written by David Hebden and he first posted it on the Lifestream Journey list and gave his consent for me to put it on the website. Not that it matters at the end of the day as God is the Author of all that is Life to us anyway, but just wanted to clarify which earthly pen He used in this case.
Lynette
I recognized the photo on your blog today Wayne; I took it at Makara beach, the beach we took you to in NZ! But alas, that is not why I’m writing a comment on your blog 😉
Just wanted to let you know that the article was not written by me, it was written by David Hebden and he first posted it on the Lifestream Journey list and gave his consent for me to put it on the website. Not that it matters at the end of the day as God is the Author of all that is Life to us anyway, but just wanted to clarify which earthly pen He used in this case.
Lynette