“He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Psalm 18:19
From time to time in my blog posts I mention the dike only a few minutes from where I live. The dike and the nature spread out before it is a powerful influence on my inspiration as a writer and its ability to calm my heart.
With the beautiful face of spring, the dike is even more alive. I love spring where I live. When I walk along the dike, a place of God’s delight, I sense the presence of God. His creativity as the Master Artist is unmistakable. His music is everywhere in the wind’s breeze, the songs of birds, and the gentle sounds of raindrops cascading off leaves of willow trees.
My Friends
The willows and other deciduous trees even now await spring to clothe them in the various shades of green, adding to the living portrait of nature around me. Did you know, if you walk close to willow trees, they just might give you a thrill? On the dike as one walks by the trees, the willows have often reached out and held the hand of passersby for a moment. A thrill to be remembered.
I realize the nearby mountains, birds, water bodies, grass, and even the gravel spread over the dike are friends. As friends of God, they hold my hand as I walk. They let me know I am not alone. My inspiration as a writer comes from the embrace of these friends. This is my place to be.
In this recognition of nature being a friend, the poet John O’ Donohue notes,
My wife, Terry, and I, have lived close to the dike for twenty years. We never become tired of the scenic area around us. We have spent hours on the dike walking, talking, and just listening to the music of God’s creation. This is our place to be.
The dike is also my place to be. My place to soak in the inspiration to put words together. Walking the dike and allowing nature to embrace me helps me keep my inner inkwell full. This place to be lets me formulate how and what I want to write. This place where my friends live.
With spring comes more hugs from the warmth of the sun. The sky smiles as it sees me walking on the dike. Then an amazing wonder happens. Sunbeams break through morning clouds and kiss me on the top of my head. My place to be is full of such wonders.
My dear fellow writers and readers, I pray you are intimate with a place to be, a place you love.
Alan lives in a small village called Deroche, British Columbia, with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He enjoys walking on the dike near his home with trees all around and where he finds inspiration to write. He occasionally writes articles for FellowScript Magazine and is a regular contributor to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship blog. Alan is the new BC/Northern Regional Rep. for InScribe. His website is https://scarredjoy.ca.
My Friends
The willows and other deciduous trees even now await spring to clothe them in the various shades of green, adding to the living portrait of nature around me. Did you know, if you walk close to willow trees, they just might give you a thrill? On the dike as one walks by the trees, the willows have often reached out and held the hand of passersby for a moment. A thrill to be remembered.
I realize the nearby mountains, birds, water bodies, grass, and even the gravel spread over the dike are friends. As friends of God, they hold my hand as I walk. They let me know I am not alone. My inspiration as a writer comes from the embrace of these friends. This is my place to be.
In this recognition of nature being a friend, the poet John O’ Donohue notes,
“This invitation to friendship with nature does of course entail a willingness to be alone out there. Yet this aloneness is anything but lonely. Solitude gradually clarifies the heart until a true tranquility is reached. The irony is that at the heart of that aloneness you feel intimately connected with the world. Indeed, the beauty of nature is often the wisest balm for it gently relieves and releases the caged mind.” (John O’Donohue, Excerpt from his books, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace (US) / Divine Beauty (Europe)My Place to Be
My wife, Terry, and I, have lived close to the dike for twenty years. We never become tired of the scenic area around us. We have spent hours on the dike walking, talking, and just listening to the music of God’s creation. This is our place to be.
The dike is also my place to be. My place to soak in the inspiration to put words together. Walking the dike and allowing nature to embrace me helps me keep my inner inkwell full. This place to be lets me formulate how and what I want to write. This place where my friends live.
With spring comes more hugs from the warmth of the sun. The sky smiles as it sees me walking on the dike. Then an amazing wonder happens. Sunbeams break through morning clouds and kiss me on the top of my head. My place to be is full of such wonders.
My dear fellow writers and readers, I pray you are intimate with a place to be, a place you love.
Your Place to Be
May a place where God’s delight is fully alive embrace you.
May you know the thrill of a willow tree holding your hand.
May your friends express their love for you.
When you walk or rest in your place to be, may you know the sweetness of being kissed by a sunbeam.
Alan lives in a small village called Deroche, British Columbia, with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He enjoys walking on the dike near his home with trees all around and where he finds inspiration to write. He occasionally writes articles for FellowScript Magazine and is a regular contributor to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship blog. Alan is the new BC/Northern Regional Rep. for InScribe. His website is https://scarredjoy.ca.
