May
25
2017

A Place Of Surrender

Posted in Worship | 2 Comments

There he was.
Standing on the bridge.
The same bridge where I see the fishermen.
The same bridge where people often stop to take photographs.

The movement caught my eye.
He was leaning against the railing.
His arms were moving every which way.
In fact, his whole body was moving along with his arms.

It wasn’t until I got closer that I noticed he seemed to be dancing.
It was joyful movement.
It was movement to a beat.
It was as if every part of him was responding to what he heard.

I had to put my window down a bit.
I wanted to listen.
I had to hear the music that was affecting the man so deeply.
All I heard was silence.

There was no music.
There were no ear buds in his ears.
Whatever he was listening to was inside of him.
In fact, as I drove past him, he really was not dancing at all.

The man on the bridge was conducting.
The man was conducting music that only he could hear.
The man was oblivious to anyone else that may have been around him.
He was leading an orchestra right there on the bridge.

The whole scene made me smile.
I thought of Max Lucado, a wonderful pastor and writer.
I remember reading his marvelous quote about conducting.
A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.

This man on the bridge was living out this quote right there before me.
His back was turned to anyone who might drive by.
He was facing the beauty of the lake.
He was facing the scenery that makes people stop on the bridge and marvel.

What exactly was he hearing?
What symphony was playing so loudly he just had to lead the musicians?
He had something white in his hand.
I thought perhaps it was a handkerchief.

If it was a handkerchief, it became his baton.
He waved it towards the majestic scenery.
He was conducting the music that played inside of him.
I felt as if I was intruding on something very special.

I can relate to that man.
There are times when a sunset sings.
There are times when the flight of a bird sounds like a flute.
There are thunderstorms that sound as if all the drums in the world convened in one place.

Nature plays its own music.
That much beauty just has to explode.
You cannot be neutral when faced with magnificence.
You cannot stand still as you face such beauty.

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.  If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:28-40)

The man on the bridge seemed to understand what Jesus told the Pharisees.
In the face of majesty, there is a symphony of praise.
If people will not worship Jesus, the stones will cry out instead.
If the worship of Jesus is squelched or restricted, nature will resound in song.

That’s just the way it is in the face of glory.
That’s just the way it is in the presence of sheer beauty.
That’s just the way it is when the Divine meets the ordinary.
Praise will happen one way or another.

There are some that would dismiss the man’s behavior as eccentric.
I beg to differ.
I thought of the white handkerchief in his hand.
White handkerchiefs are a symbol of surrender.

The man on the bridge had surrendered to the Creator of the beauty all around him.
The man was conducting the music of his heart.
You cannot stand still in the presence of such beauty.
You have to worship with abandon.

I wanted to stop and watch.
I really wanted to stop and join in.
It was a private moment that I had the privilege to witness.
I eavesdropped on nature’s song of praise to our Creator God.

Stop a minute.
Do you hear it?
Perhaps you have a white handkerchief of your own.
Raise it in surrender and worship Him.

Whispers of His Movement and Whispers in Verse books are now available in paperback and e-book!

http://www.whispersofhismovement.com/book/

2 responses to “A Place Of Surrender”

  1. Dear Gina,
    Thank you for this. It was a much needed reminder of how much I need to “wave my hankie”
    You have no idea how much this helped me out of my “blahs'”
    Blessings and Love,
    Bettie

    • Oh, Bettie, I am so delighted that this post lifted you out of your “blahs.”
      Only you could come up with such an appropriate synopsis: “Wave my hankie!” Thank you, sweet friend.
      Gina

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