I remember the first time I heard David’s famous prayer with the line; “You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from.” (Psalm 23.2) I was young. It was before I started school. I think I was six, in the summer before the first grade.
When I heard the words, I listening intently, letting the images and feelings associated with them wash over me. It was an amazing moment! I felt totally at peace. The sense of being fully in the moment was overwhelming. Everything was going to be ok. Nothing would go wrong. God was with me. Life was defined by resting in a lush meadow.
A few days later, the second memory of that season was etched in my mind. As I rode my bicycle, I found a lush meadow. It was beautiful! The green grass, four leaf clovers, and trees were stunning. I stretched out and lay down, looking up at the dancing clouds, wondering what images I could imagine.
As my mind began to drift, I realized I was not comfortable. There were small sticks in my back. The insects in the meadow were beginning to crawl over me. One even stung my neck! The clouds were nice but when the sun came out I found myself down in the grass, out of the wind, and uncomfortably hot. This was nothing like I imagined.
I think I lasted a few minutes.
As I looked back, then and now, I find myself where I am in the present. I am sitting at breakfast. My table is full. South Indian coffee, dosa, sambar, fruit, curds, and more are within my reach. Outside, the realities of the monsoon are on full display. Water drips from everything. Pools are forming, overflowing, and feeding small streams.
Is it good or is it bad. I realize that God has yet again bedded me down in lush meadows and found me quiet pools to drink from. It was there for my embrace as a kid. It is here in this moment.
