Free

He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.

—Psalm 23:2b–3a (NKJV)

When life rages, I feel you beckoning me to quiet. You call me from that place that tears my heart to shreds. You call me gently, but firmly, away from my own self-destruction. I have craved peace. I have longed for its escape, but I could never find it in the midst of my pain. I could never find it in the rush of endless emotion. Fear rises to threaten, to drown me in its swirling vortex, and to starve my soul.

The allure of your presence never lessens. It entices my body, mind, and spirit to come to you. I’m drawn to your stillness—to your place of rest. I allow you to lead me beside your still water. Your quietness encompasses me. I feel your presence. It pulls me away from my harried existence.

Tentatively, I reach for your promise. Your promise is great, but my faith is lacking. I still reach. I still believe. I hold on because you promise joy. You promise peace. In the stillness, I find you. You breathe your own life into my dry bones. The things that have owned my life are no more. Even if I tried, I couldn’t remember their worry, their fear, or their despair.

In this quiet moment where my spirit and your spirit are as one, I’m comforted. I’m filled. I’m lifted. I’m healed. I’m renewed. You restore my soul. Only you are here with me and in me. Nothing more. Nothing less. And I am free.

—excerpt from Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me, chapter 7

© 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com